HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 9, 2009) – Sophomore catcher Denis Ackermann batted 3-for-4 with a run scored and drove one in as the fourth-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team dropped the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro Division Final on Saturday afternoon in Hoboken, N.J. to second-seeded Ramapo College in a 9-6 decision. The Roadrunners, who entered today's contest with a team total of nine homeruns, jacked five in the victory, which resulted in eight of their nine runs. The Ducks finish the season 21-20 overall as Ramapo improves to 21-18 on the year.
Sophomore pitcher Ken Meerendonk got the Ducks on the board with his solo shot to deep centerfield as the Ducks led 1-0 after the first three outs. Ramapo responded off back-to-back homers to take a 3-1 advantage. The 2009 ECAC Metro Division Most Valuable Player, freshman outfielder Daniel Mauriello (Monroe, N.Y.) delivered the team's first long ball of the day, a two-run shot to right centerfield. That was followed up with a solo blast off the bat of freshman outfielder Joseph Della Serra (Cranford, N.J.).
Stevens held Ramapo at bay over the next five innings. The Ducks were able to add a pair of runs to the board in the second and one more in the third. With two outs in the top half of the second, junior left fielder Anthony Andrews got things going for Stevens with a double to right centerfield. Freshman third baseman Chris Coutros roped a single to right center to drive in Andrews. After Coutros stole second, junior shortstop Eddie Daniele ripped a single to right field to put men on the corners for Phillips. Phillips then drew a walk to load the base pads for junior centerfielder Mark Rasulo who came through with an RBI single to left field to plate Coutros. The inning ended on a hard-hit drive by Meerendonk to deep leftfield with the bases juiced.
Junior right fielder Russ Grimes led off the third frame with a solo shot, his seventh of the year over the leftfield wall to give the Ducks their first lead of the game (4-3). Things stayed quiet over the next three innings, before the Roadrunners tacked on four runs in the seventh.
With two outs and a man on third, junior infielder Joey Cacchiola (Union, N.J.) delivered the only RBI not off a homerun when he doubled down the right field line to plate sophomore infielder Rob Dimperio (Jackson, N.J.). With two men on, Mauriello launched his fourth collegiate homerun over the right centerfield wall to give the Roadrunners a 7-4 advantage after seven innings. Ramapo added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half of the eighth off a two solo blasts, both over the short porch in right field. Senior outfielder Mike Manges (Glen Rock, N.J.) led the inning off with his second homer of the season as senior catcher Tim Gaven (Union, N.J.) followed it up with a solo blast of his own.
The Ducks did not go down without a fight as Stevens added two runs in its final at-bats. With two outs, Ackermann drove in Grimes from second off a single to centerfield. Silva then plated Ackermann off his single to left field. The inning ended with men on first and second as Ramapo was able to get a force at third for the final out of the ballgame.
Rasulo finished the game having gone 3-for-5 with an RBI as Grimes had a pair of runs scored and a solo homerun. Silva batted 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Andrews concluded the 2009 campaign having gone 3-for-5 with a run scored. Meerendonk got the nod and went 6.2 innings, allowed seven earned on 12 hits to take his fifth loss of the year (5-5).
For Ramapo, Mauriello went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBI. Cacchiola, Manges, Della Serra and Gaven all batted 2-for-4, all had a run scored and each batted a run in during the victory. Sophomore pitcher Tim Hannes (Allendale, N.J.) started the game for Ramapo and went 4.1 innings, gave up four earned on nine hits. Freshman pitcher Matt Jenisch (Pompton Plains, N.J.) took over and also pitched for 4.1 innings, having allowed two earned on seven hits to pick up his second win (2-2) of his young career. Sophomore pitcher John Guagliardo (Staten Island, N.Y.) closed things out for Ramapo having earned his first save of the season to help produce the final out of the game.
This concludes the 2009 season for the Ducks. It marks the fifth year that Stevens has produced a 20-win season. Meerendonk and Grimes set the new single-season homerun record of seven dingers. The Ducks made their first ECAC appearance and reached the finals. Finora concluded his junior season with 69 strikeouts to sit fourth in Stevens' history for most strikeouts in a season (84). Stevens finished the latter part of its season having taken nine of its last 12 games.
