After dropping four of their last five games to end their Florida series, the Rowan baseball team was able to turn things around in their first game back in Glassboro, defeating the Neumann University Knights, 13-3 on Tuesday.
The runs began pouring in for Rowan (7-9) in the bottom of the third, beginning when senior outfielder Eric Oliver was hit by a pitch with two outs. Oliver stole second before scoring on a single from junior shortstop Jason Clapper. The hit would start a four-run rally that sparked their offense.
The Profs never looked back.
“I talk about it with my team all the time, two-out hits are going to win ball games,” said head coach Mike Dickson. “And that’s what we did yesterday.”
Rowan is now 3-0 at home on the season, and the players have said they feel more comfortable playing on their own turf. Senior second baseman Evan Hughes said the win against Neumann (7-9) helped the team refocus after the Florida trip.
“We kind of struggled offensively down in Florida so it was a great opportunity for us to get our confidence back,” Hughes said.
Hughes had a two-RBI double as part of that two-out rally in the third and would later score a run himself. Junior third baseman Matt Jolly also had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
Sophomore pitcher Sam Nocito, who began the season in the Profs’ bullpen, got the start in the game and recorded his first win of the season.
For the Knights, junior left-hander Patrick Graham received the loss. In a weird moment in the seventh inning, Knights’ reliever Kutter Endy was ejected for throwing pitches near the head of Clapper.
“Unfortunately sometimes guys want to take the matter into their own hands,” Dickson said about the incident. “I think it was just an immature thing that a player did.”
The brown and gold face Haverford College on the road Wednesday before returning to Glassboro Saturday for a matchup with DeSales University. Senior catcher Greg Myers said the team is ready for both games, and will do whatever it takes to remain perfect at home.
“We don’t like losing at home,” said Myers. “So we’re going to keep doing everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Rowan 13, Neumann 3
UP NEXT
@ Haverford College, today 3:30 pm
For questions/comments about this story, email sports@thewhitonline.com or tweet @TheWhitSports.
