HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 18, 2009) – Junior centerfielder Mark Rasulo came in to score as junior right fielder Russ Grimes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and the score tied in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team to its fifth win of the season in a 9-8 victory against New Jersey City University Wednesday afternoon in Hoboken, N.J. The slugger of the day for the Ducks was senior first baseman Dan Silva, who batted 3-for-3, drove in a pair of runs and crossed the plate twice. Stevens battled back from an 8-6 deficit heading into the ninth as junior closer Joseph Tarallo (South Amboy, N.J.) blew the save having walked three batters, while not allowing a hit. With the win, Stevens improves to 5-7 on the year, as the Gothic Knights drop to 7-8-1.
Trailing by a pair of runs (8-6), the Ducks started the bottom half of the ninth inning with junior outfielder Anthony Andrews having reached base after he was hit by a pitch. Silva then walked to advance Andrews 90 feet. Tarallo then balked to move both the runners up as Andrews caused the mental error by the pitcher by dancing off of second. The following batter, sophomore Matt Glassman got on board off a walk to load the bases for Rasulo. He reached base after a fielding error by the third baseman as Andrews came in to score and cut the deficit to a run. It was then freshman second baseman Tom Phillips that launched a high-fly ball to deep right field. The right fielder could not come down with it as Phillips was credited with the RBI as he drove in sophomore Matty Roman who came in to pinch run for Silva. However on the play, Glassman was gunned down by the first baseman on the relay throw from right field trying to score from second. Sophomore third baseman Ken Meerendonk was awarded first base after he drew a walk to load them up. Finally, Grimes was drilled with a pitch off his left shoulder to plate the winning run.
Stevens started the game off having scored a pair of runs in the second inning. With two outs, Andrews reached base on an infield single. Silva stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI double down the right-field line to plate Andrews. Glassman then doubled to left field to drive in Silva. The Ducks were back at it in the bottom half of the third as Grimes got things going with a leadoff walk. It was then Silva again that recorded his second RBI of the game after he singled up the middle to plate Grimes. With men on first and third, a double steal was on as junior infielder Eddie Daniele swiped home on the throw down to second as Silva slide in safe. After the Gothic Knights loaded the bases, Phillips drew a walk to score Silva for the third run of the inning.
Things got interesting in the top half of the six with Stevens ahead by a run (5-4). With two outs, senior infielder Jorge Pardo (West New York, N.J.) blasted his first homer of the season; a three-run shot to right field to give NJCU a 7-5 advantage. The Ducks only other run before the dramatic finish in the ninth, came in the sixth after Grimes lifted a sacrifice fly to left field as Phillips came in to score from third.
Sophomore Kyle Hanas earned the victory for the Ducks when he came in for the final three innings. He gave up just three hits, one earned run in 11 batters faced. Meerendonk finished having gone 3-for-5 on the day, while Andrews went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Glassman batted 1-for-3 with an RBI in the win for the Ducks. Freshman pitcher Vincent Vinci (Howell, N.J.) started the game for Stevens and posted a solid five innings, having allowed four earned runs on five hits.
Pardo finished with a pair of homers, having gone 2-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBI in the loss. Junior Alex Mena (North Bergen, N.J.) batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while freshman infielder Joe Steinberger (Sand Diego, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored.
The Ducks will return to the diamond on Saturday in a non-conference doubleheader against Skidmore College, slatted for a noon start in Hoboken, N.J.
