Fitchburg State Downed By Ramapo

Falcons suffer 11-9 setback in game one; fall 17-2 in the nightcap

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 15, 2010) – The Fitchburg State baseball team continued its 2010 Florida trip this afternoon, battling Ramapo College (N.J.) in a day/night doubleheader. The Falcons suffered a tough 11-9 setback in game one, before falling 17-2 in the nightcap.

Ramapo 11, Fitchburg State 9

In game one, Ramapo registered 11 runs over the first five innings of played and held off a late surge by the Falcons to post its third victory of the season.

BRIAN WARE

Ramapo got on the board quickly as junior Pat Driscoll (Spartan, N.J./Spartan) belted a lead-off homerun but Fitchburg State responded in the bottom of the inning as sophomore Michal Mericer (Townsend, Mass./Saint Bernards) notched a lead-off double and later scored on a single by Ricky Graham (Walpole, Mass./Walpole).

In the second, the Falcons allowed four runs in the top half of the inning but quickly marched back, rifling off five runs in the bottom portion of the frame. Junior Brian Ware (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) capped Fitchburg State’s rally with a three-run homerun to left field, while juniors Matt Morrison (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) and John Phelan (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) added a pair of singles.

Ramapo regained its lead over the next three innings of play, posting three runs throughout the third, fourth and fifth frames. Sophomore Dan Moreno (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) lifted the Roadrunners with a two-run homer in the fifth, while Christian Spurr (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) added an RBI single in the fourth.

After the Falcons five run outburst in the second inning, freshman pitcher John McNeil (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) settled down nicely, keeping the Fitchburg State bats silent over the next three innings. McNeil finished the day allowing seven runs (five earned) on five hits and seven strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen.

Fitchburg State would post three runs over the final two innings of play, but freshman Travis Zilg (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex) came on late, recording a two-out, ten pitch save to seal the Roadrunner victory. Junior Mike Scaramellino (Dover Plains, N.Y./Dover Plains) suffered the loss in relief for the Falcons (0-1), yielding three runs and five hits over 1.1 innings of work, while starter Perry Russo (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) worked the first 1.2 innings of the game, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks.

Ware lead the Falcons offensively, hitting 3-for-4 with a homerun, one run scored and three RBI, while Mercier finished 1-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Graham was also solid with one base-knock, one run scored and one RBI.

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Ramapo 17, Fitchburg State 2

RANDY ORTIZ

In the nightcap, Ramapo erupted for eight runs in the opening inning and never looked back, taking a 17-2 victory over Fitchburg State for its fourth victory of the season.

Sophomore Kevin Knox (Matawan, N.J./Matawan) led the Roadrunners attack, hitting 2-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI, while Moreno added a double, one run scored and two RBI. Spurr was also strong registering a 2-for-4 night with a double, two runs scored and three RBI.

On the offensive side, Fitchburg State posted five hits from five different players, including freshman Randy Ortiz (Danielson, Conn./Killingly), who registered his first collegiate base-knock with a 1-for-1 performance. Mercier, Phelan, and junior Erik DiMauro (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) each added a hit, while sophomore Bobby Ewing (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) added a single and one RBI.

On the mound, Travis Zilg earned the victory in game-two, registering only three hits (zero runs) with two strikeouts. Freshman John Chase (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) suffered the loss for Fitchburg State (0-1), yielding five earned runners over 0.1 innings of work.

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Fitchburg State (0-4, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action tomorrow as it takes on Stevens College and McDaniel College in a day/night double-header starting at 10 a.m. Ramapo (2-1, 0-0 NJAC) will face UMass Boston tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.