Pomona, NJ: Second-seeded Ramapo (25-18) scored a run in the ninth inning to win the ECAC Metro championship 5-4 over top-seeded Richard Stockton (23-17) this afternoon. The Roadrunners went undefeated with victories over Mount St. Vincent and Stockton twice to win the three-team double-elimination ECAC tournament. Despite today’s loss, Stockton finished the season with a school-record 23 victories.
Senior
Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY) was named tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting 6-8 over the course of the three day championship tournament.
Ryan Paxton (Long Valley/West Morris Central) went 2-5 with a triple, run and RBI while
Pete Sita (Bayonne/Hudson Catholic) was 2-4 with a double and an RBI for Ramapo. Reliever
Tim Hannes (Allendale/Northern Highlands) earned the win with three scoreless innings pitched and
Jack McDonough (Cranford/Cranford) hurled a perfect ninth for a save.
For Stockton, Joe Sacerdote (Deptford/Gloucester Catholic) went 3-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Jeff Lundell (Henderson, NV/Kentridge (WA)) and Chris Discher (Cherry Hill/CH West) each went 2-4 at the plate, and Discher also registered one RBI.
Rob Dimperio (Jackson/Jackson) led off the ninth inning with a single for Ramapo. He moved to second base on a sacrifice and advanced to third on an error. Dimperio scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch to give the Roadrunners a 5-4 lead. McDonough retired the Ospreys in order in the bottom of the ninth to close the game as Ramapo won the ECAC Metro title, 5-4.
Earlier, Sacerdote led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and later scored on an RBI groundout by Matt Hunt (Marlton/St. Joseph) to give Stockton a 4-3 lead. Ramapo tied the game 4-4 on an RBI single by Sita in the top of the eighth frame.