Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Timely hitting lifted Rowan to 6-1 and 6-2 sweep of Rutgers-Newark in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader in the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

IN GAME ONE, Raider senior ace Kyle Van Vliet (2-3) was solid for all but one of his nine full innings of work.  In posting his second complete game, Van Vliet gave up eight hits while striking out five and walking one.

Sophomore designated hitter Casey Grimes hammered a three-run homer to left field to cap a decisive five-run outburst in the fourth inning by Rowan.  The Profs notched four hits in the frame to take a 4-0 lead.

Sophomore designated hitter Graham Commesso singled and came home on a double to left field by junior rightfielder Jimmy Napolitano to put Raiders on the board in the sixth, but Rowan pushed their lead back to four with a single, a stolen base and a single in the seventh.

Rowan senior right-hander Steven Melchiorre (3-3) went the distance by scattering seven hits while striking out eight.

IN GAME TWO, Raider junior right-hander Michael Garcia (2-5) carried a shutout into the fifth inning before the Profs used a pair of doubles, a single and a crucial error to take the lead for good at 2-1. 

A solo home run by Grimes in the sixth upped the Rowan lead to 3-1 before singles by Napolitano and junior first baseman Ryan Maloney set up a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Nick Gencarelli in the bottom of the frame.

A triple by junior second baseman Mark Benak led to another Rowan run in the seventh and helped chase Garcia.  The Profs tacked on insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to make an easy winner of senior right-hander Jeff White.  White allowed 11 hits while striking out seven and walking one.

In a frustrating “home” twinbill, only one hit separated the teams, but the Profs (17-9, NJAC 5-4) got theirs when it counted the most as the Scarlet Raiders (7-21, NJAC 2-7) slipped into the conference cellar.

Rutgers-Newark plays at Kean University at noon on Sunday in a game rescheduled from Friday because of rain.  The Cougars (23-6, NJAC 7-2), who are tied with William Paterson for the NJAC lead, suffered a stunning 5-1 loss to New Jersey City today.