NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark senior right-hander Ryan Williams and the bullpen shut down Rowan in a 2-1 New Jersey Athletic Conference win which clinched a league championship tournament berth for the Scarlet Raiders.  The Profs took the nightcap, 12-5.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY PLAY
Rutgers-Newark 2, Rowan 1
Rowan 12, Rutgers-Newark 5

Williams (3-4) went seven full innings, yielding just four hits and three walks while striking out six to outduel the Profs' Steven Melchiorre (6-1). Melchiorre pitched into the eighth, giving up eight hits while striking out four and walking one.

Rowan, the ranked in the NCAA D-III Mid-Atlantic Region, is now 27-9-1 overall and 14-4 in the NJAC.

Junior Nick Evans worked into and out of trouble in the eighth, leaving a man at third, before sophomore closer Matt Larangera posted his sixth save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Junior third baseman Tim Miller had a hand in both Raider runs. He doubled to right and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Anthony Palladino in the second, then he stroked a double to right in the fourth which plated senior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer with what proved to be the winning run.

A fielding error by Miller helped load the bases for Rowan in the top of the fifth when a two-out walk to third baseman Brad Woodend brought home the Profs' lone run.

IN GAME TWO, Rowan turned four walks and two singles into four runs in the seventh inning to break open the game with junior shortstop Marc Magliaro capping the outburst with a two-run single to right. Magliaro went three for six to pace Rowan which posted 14 hits against five Rutgers-Newark pitchers to earn the split.

Seven difference Raiders posted singles against Rowan senior lefthander Marc Porter (3-0), who went five and a third while giving up five hits and striking out seven, and senior reliever Kyle Norman. Norman earned a save.

Rowan senior centerfielder Matt Citro had a two-run single to cap a three-run first inning and an RBI single to help a three-run third which staked the Profs to a 6-3 lead.

The Raiders posted two runs in the first inning singles by senior centerfielder Michael DiCenso, junior first baseman Chris Ballester and junior rightfielder Mike Ciaramello mixed with a walk to Reitemeyer and a wild pitch.

Three of Rutgers-Newark's runs came on wild pitches. Senior rightfielder Michael Cassese singled and scored in the second on a wild pitch. Senior second baseman Matt Connors was hit by a pitch in the fifth, advanced to third on an infield error and scored on a wild pitch to start a two-run error fueled rally which cut the Rowan lead to 7-5.

The Raiders will open play as the third, fourth or fifth seed in the six team NJAC Championship Tournament on Tuesday. The site and opponent will be determined tomorrow as several teams will make up rained out contests.

Williams, Reitemeyer, Connors, Cassese, DiCenso and Billy Cerruti were honored in pre-game ceremonies on Senior Day.

Rutgers-Newark visits Alvernia, ranked fourth in the NCAA D-III Mid-Atlantic Regional poll, on Sunday at 1 p.m. in its final regular season game.