NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark piled up seven home runs, but Rowan rode an early 12-0 lead to hold off the Scarlet Raiders, 20-17, in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. The Profs took the darkness-shortened game two, 11-4, behind the pitching of junior righthander Jay Gallen.
NCAA Box Scores & Play-by-Play
Rowan 20, R-N 17 Rowan 11, R-N 4
The Profs (18-9-1, NJAC 7-5) surged ahead of the Scarlet Raiders (17-12, NJAC 5-7) in the battle for one of six NJAC Championship tournament berths with just six games remaining on the league slate for each squad.
In game one, Rutgers-Newark juniors Anthony Yeswita and Joe Furnaguera belted three home runs apiece and junior first baseman Matt Lingo tacked on a solo shot. The trio hit back-to-back -to-back homers in the fourth inning. Yeswita and Furnaguera twice went back-to-back in the homer department.
Yeswita went five for five with four runs scored and six RBIs -- just missing his fourth home run of the day when his double bounced off the right centerfield wall in the ninth just two feet short of tying the NCAA Division III single game record for homers. Furnaguera went four for six, scored four times and drove in four to pace the Raiders' 21-hit attack.
But, the Profs piled up 25 hits against six Rutgers-Newark pitchers. Designated hitter Tom Ready hammered two of Rowan's four home runs, driving in five runs, while second baseman Pete Delleani went five for six with a double and five RBIs. Ready's grand slam in the five-run second inning staked the Profs to an early 6-0 lead.
There were 11 home runs and six doubles among the 46 hits and a total of 11 pitchers toed the rubber in the 4-hour, 20-minute marathon.
In game two, Gallen (5-0) yielded nine hits while striking out four and walking just one in an abbreviated complete game win while the Raiders used three pitchers after starter Billy Cerruti (2-3) fell into a 6-0 hole in the top of the first.
Senior rightfielder John McMullen keyed the decisive first-inning outburst with a two-run double. Senior centerfielder Garrett Mull went three for three and scored three runs for the Profs in the nightcap.
Sophomore second baseman Matt Connors paced the Raiders by going three for four with an RBI triple in the fourth inning.
Tomorrow, Rutgers-Newark visits Richard Stockton while the Rowan hosts New Jersey City in a pair of noon NJAC doubleheaders.
