Stevens Falls to Rowan, 8-4 in 11 Innings
HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 24, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball smashed three homeruns but fell to Rowan University 8-4 in 11 innings on Tuesday.
After loading the bases in the top of the second, the Profs (8-5) drew first blood on a bases loaded single by senior Nick Kreiger. An infield single by sophomore Jason Clapper brought up senior Casey Grimes, who belted a long homerun to deep right field to give Rowan a 3-0 advantage in the top of third.
Stevens trimmed the deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth after senior
Brian Hennelly and sophomore
Michael Mule' drilled solo homers to right field. Rowan added a run in the top half of the sixth on a fielder's choice by Kreiger. The Ducks (7-5) knotted the contest at four in the bottom of the inning when junior
Jonathan Toro led off with single to right. Junior Nick Juliano retired the next two hitters but junior
Jayson Yano smacked a deep drive to dead center just over the fence as the centerfielder crashed through the temporary fencing chasing the deep fly for a two-run homer.
Yano, who had thrown over 100 pitches on the afternoon, departed the game in the top of the eighth after pitching around Grimes. Junior
Danny McIntyre replaced him, and the Texan promptly fanned the next hitter and induced a 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning. McIntyre also pitched a perfect ninth and struck out the side.
Rowan was aided in the bottom of the tenth by a spectacular lunging catch in left field by freshman Monny Strickland, robbing junior
Nick Sieber of potential extra bases. The Profs broke the game open in the top of the 11 inning. After loading the bases, senior Ryan Pavlik delivered the crushing blow, a two-run double down the right field line that escaped the diving first basemen. Back-to-back singles by Clapper and senior Kevin McMenamin added two insurance runs for the visitors.
In addition to the three long balls, Toro, sophomore
Harrison Kaye and Mule' all had singles. Yano went seven innings, allowing six hits, four runs while striking out four. McIntyre punched out six in three and a third innings of relief.
Grimes went 3-for-4 with two walks and two runs batted in while Pavlik and Kreiger each had two hits and two RBI for the Profs. Juliano had five strikeouts in five innings of relief, while sophomore Brad Machinski tossed three innings of two hit ball to earn the victory.
The Ducks are back in action tomorrow as they battle in-state rival William Paterson at 3 p.m. at Dobbelaar Field.