NEWARK, NJ – Junior rightfielder
Russ Grimes’ solo home run in the 10th inning lifted Stevens to a 7-6 win over top-seeded Rutgers-Newark in the ECAC Metro Championship semifinals in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
NCAA Box Score & Play-by-Play
Rutgers-Newark finishes its season with a 22-16 record.
The fourth-seeded Ducks (21-19) now will host second-seeded Ramapo (20-18) – a 7-2 winner on the road over Merchant Marine (22-14) in today’s other semifinal game – on Dobbelaar Field in Hoboken Saturday night at 7 o’clock in the championship game.
Senior reliever
Robert Falk was the hard-luck loser. The lefthander allowed just three hits while striking out four and walking no one in three innings of work after coming on in relief in the seventh.
Grimes’ seventh home run of the season – a no-doubt drive over the leftfield wall with one out – gave Stevens its first lead of the game as the Ducks fought from behind to tie the game three times during the middle innings.
Junior centerfielder
Mark Rasulo, who went three for five to lead the Ducks’ 14-hit attack, had an RBI single and scored from third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman
Kenneth Meerendonk to key a three-run fifth inning which knotted the score at 4-4.
Senior designated hitter
Matt Halligan, who had RBI single during the four-run second inning, gave Rutgers-Newark its final lead at 6-5 with a single through the right side in the sixth to plate junior third baseman
Joe Furnaguera.
But as they had done in previous inning, the Ducks answered with the tying run in the top of the next inning. Rasulo singled to center with one out and scored from third on a two-out attempted steal of second by Grimes to tie the score at 6-6. After reaching on a crucial two-out error, Grimes drew a throw to second and stalled between bases, allowing Rasulo to sprint home before he was tagged in a rundown to end the frame.
A two-run double to left by freshman leftfielder
Chris Ballesterwas the key hit as the Raiders jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second.
After Stevens knotted the score in the top of the fifth, consecutive one-out singles by senior centerfielder
Brian Gill, sophomore shortstop
Patrick Reitemeyer and junior rightfielder
Anthony Yeswita put the Raiders back up, 5-4 in the bottom of the inning.
Rutgers-Newark had its chances with Reitemeyer, Yeswita, senior catcher
Gerard Russomanno and Halligan getting two hits apiece.
Sophomore righthander
Kyle Hanas, who shut down the Raiders for the final 4-1/3 innings on just two singles while striking out one and walking one, got the win to improve to 4-3. Junior lefty
Joe Finora carried the Ducks into the sixth inning, yielding five earned runs and 10 hits while striking out three and walking just one.