Baseball 2008
CAMDEN (April 18, 2008) – Ramapo College senior right fielder Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY/Dewitt Clinton) ripped a solo home run to left field leading off the ninth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie and sparking the Roadrunners over Rutgers University-Camden, 6-4, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball game here Friday afternoon.
The shot by Jimenez lifted the Roadrunners to 14-16 overall and 3-9 in the NJAC. It also sent the Scarlet Raptors to their ninth straight loss. Rutgers-Camden fell to 7-22 overall and 1-11 in the conference.
The home run was the first run allowed by Raptors sophomore Michael Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) during his long relief stint. Ramapo added an insurance run in the ninth after junior third baseman Gino Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar) collected a two-out infield single and stole second. He scored on a single up the middle by freshman shortstop Rob Dimperio (Jackson, NJ/Jackson).
The two teams traded leads all day, with Rutgers-Camden holding edges of 1-0 and 2-1 before Ramapo scored three runs in the fifth inning. That frame was sparked by RBI singles from junior left fielder Mike Manges (Glen Rock, NJ/Paramus Catholic) and sophomore first baseman Peter Sita (Bayonne, NJ/Hudson Catholic). Sophomore second baseman Mark Ruggiero (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex Regional) capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
Rutgers-Camden bounced back to tie the game with a two-run sixth inning, started by a double from sophomore left fielder Zach Colgate (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights). An infield error scored Colgate and a pair of singles by senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) and sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran) produced the tying run.
Dimperio had three hits for the Roadrunners. Colgate went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs for the Raptors, who collected five hits in the game. Colgate had a double and a triple for his two hits.
Raptor sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) went 0-for-4 to snap his 11-game hitting streak, the longest on the team this season.
Kondrath (0-2) took the loss, working four innings and allowing four hits, the two ninth-inning runs and one walk. He struck out one.
Ramapo junior starter Dan Mulligan (Wilmington, DE/Concord) was the winning pitcher, working eight innings of five-hit ball. He allowed four runs (two earned) and four walks, while striking out three.
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with a 4 p.m. NJAC doubleheader as it hosts Kean University, the defending NCAA Division III national champions.
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