After some unfavorable weather in Gorham, Maine, delayed the Southern Maine Regional, Rowan teed things off with a, 7-5, victory over the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers on Saturday. No. 4 Rowan is now 33-5 this spring and trots into the winner’s bracket of a double elimination layout following their first contest at Ed Flaherty Field.
Jason Schooley and Brayden Davis made themselves comfortable up north, as both juniors hit home runs in back-to-back innings which made an inevitable difference. Davis, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year, shined with four RBIs while going 2-for-3 at the dish.
The brown and gold held a 3-1 advantage, Schooley turned on one in the bottom of the third to score two more. Enter Davis, who scorched the ball to the deepest part of center field in the very next inning for his 12th home run of the year.
RIT starter Ryan Moran hadn’t allowed a single home run or more than three earned runs prior to Saturday’s NCAA regional game. The Profs managed to break both of those trends. Meanwhile, fifth year pitcher Zach Coluccio got the nod for Rowan’s NCAA regional opener, going five strong and giving up just two runs earned on 83 pitches.
There was one hiccup for Coluccio and company in the top of the fifth, as RIT’s top hitter Trent Rapp blasted a three run homer to make it a, 6-4, ballgame and keep the comeback attempt alive for the Tigers. Rowan put the RIT rally to bed as soon as the bottom of the sixth inning when senior Nick Struble’s sacrifice fly tacked on another run to give his club needed insurance.
A confident Profs bullpen did the rest, with Evan Brasberger delivering 2.2 innings and freshman Nick Watson closing the deal. Watson, who was named the NJAC’s Fireman of the Year for his work in relief, only needed 16 pitches.
Rowan looks to build off a 1-0 start in NCAA regional action on Sunday. The Profs are set to take on the hosts in Southern Maine, who also triumphed in their first game against Babson.
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