2016 NJAC Baseball Championship Central | Box Score | Ramapo Recap | Rowan Recap

MAHWAH, NJ --- Senior Scott Paulus finished 3-4 with two doubles and two runs scored as #3 Ramapo College baseball team defeated #4 Rowan University today 5-2 in the opening round of the 2016 NJAC Baseball Tournament.
 
The Roadrunners (30-9-1) advance to play the winner of #2 The College of New Jersey and #5 Montclair State University. Ramapo and the winner will play on Thursday at 3:30pm at the higher seed.
 
Rowan scored their lone runs of the game in the top of the second inning for a quick 2-0 lead before Ramapo came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Dillon Mendel led off with a triple before Evan Hughes drove him in with a sac fly for a 1-0 lead. With two outs Eric Oliver singled home Steven Todd who reached on a single of his own earlier in the inning to go up 2-0.
 
Austin Unglaub got things started for the Roadrunners in the bottom half of the second with a one out single before Paulus smacked a double into the right-center field gap to plate the first run 1-0. Bobby Shannon singled to put runners on the corners before Ryan Rinsky tied the game up with a sac fly to left field allowing Paulus to score 2-2. In the fourth inning Paulus led off with a single before he moved to second on a sac bunt from Shannon. Rinsky was hit by a pitch and Rob DeAngelis poked a single to right field to load the bases with one out. Following the second out of the inning, Joe Venturino drove a ball up the middle towards the shortstop that he beat out allowing Paulus to score for a 3-2 lead.

Paulus came up big in the bottom of the fifth inning plating two runs with a double to straight away center field. Connor Walsh walked, Brandon Martinez beat out a bunt single and Unglaub was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Paulus then drove the sixth pitch he saw into deep center field allowing Walsh and Martinez to score extending the Ramapo lead 5-2.
 
Ramapo got out of a jam in the top of the seventh. Rowan recorded back-to-back singles before they each moved up one base on a sac bunt. Ramapo reliever Jerry D'Andrea then came into the game with a 1-1 count on Matt Jolly and induced a ground out for the second out before D'Andrea recorded a pop fly to left field to end the Prof threat. D'Andrea sent the Profs down in order the final two innings including a strikeout to end the game and earn his team leading ninth save of the season.
 
Casey Jervis started on the mound for Ramapo, he surrendered two runs, struck out two, walked two and scattered six hits over three innings of work. Greg Westhelle (5-1) earned the win in relief; he struck out three, walked none and let up only three hits in 3.1 innings on the mound. D'Andrea tied the career record for saves as he struck out two, walked none and did not surrender a hit in the final 2.2 innings of work.
 
Paulus led the team finishing 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBI while DeAngelis and Venturino each collected two hits.