Montclair, NJ – Senior outfielder Brandon Martinez collected five RBI as Ramapo College exploded for nine runs in the middle innings in a 13-4 win over Montclair State at Yogi Berra Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Junior first baseman Connor Walsh went 4-for-5 with three RBI as the Roadrunners (20-14) swept the home-and-home series with the Red Hawks. Ramapo also kept pace with TCNJ atop the conference standings with each team now 13-3.
Senior first baseman
RYAN THIEME was 2-for-3 for the Red Hawks (14-21), who now have their backs against the wall in their hopes of qualifying for the NJAC Tournament which begins next week. MSU is now 6-10 in conference play, tied with William Paterson for seventh place with both teams a game behind Stockton University at 9-9 for the final spot.
MSU faces Rutgers-Newark at Patriots Park in Somerset, NJ on Saturday, April 29 at 11:30 am while William Paterson hosts Rowan and Stockton travels to Ramapo.
For the second straight day, the Roadrunners scored twice in the first inning. Martinez had a sacrifice fly and Walsh singled through the left side for the 2-0 lead. A DeAngelis RBI double and Bobby Shannon run-scoring single in the second boosted the lead to 4-0.
Montclair State got a run back in the fourth as
JOE NORTON lofted a sacrifice fly for the first Red Hawk win. MSU crept closer in the fifth as an infield single by
IAN LYNCH got one run home.
PHILIP SCOTT drew a walk with the bags full forcing in another run making the score 4-3.
But the Roadrunners responded with four runs in the sixth. Martinez delivered the big blow, a bases-clearing, two-out double. Walsh added another RBU giving Ramapo an 8-3 advantage. Magueri added to the lead in the seventh with a two-run double highlighting a five-run inning for Ramapo extending the lead to 13-3.
JESSE BAIZA drove in Montclair's final run in the eighth with an RBI double.
Righthander Kevin Foulds got the victory in relief as he improved to 2-0. Foulds went 2 1/3 innings allowing a hit while working his way around four walks. Freshman
TYLER HIGGINS took the loss for Montclair State, falling to 1-1 on the year.
Lynch had two hits for MSU.