Mahwah, NJ … Ramapo College snatched a pair of games from The College of New Jersey baseball team in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Jeff Maund Field.
 
Behind a pair of outstanding pitching efforts, the Roadrunners won the opener 3-1 and took the nightcap 8-1. Seniors Walker Larson and Tom Portesy combined to strike out 16 hitters as Ramapo improved to 20-11 on the season and 9-5 in the NJAC.
 
The losses dropped the Lions to 13-15 overall and 6-8 in conference play. TCNJ entered the game in fifth place in the standings and dropped one spot to sixth. The Lions will take on Rutgers-Newark (10-21, 1-12 NJAC) in a home-and-home series this week before their final doubleheader of the regular season at fifth-place Montclair State University (13-4, 7-6 NJAC). The top six teams qualify for the tournament championship.
 
Game 1: Ramapo 3  TCNJ  1
 
The Lions fell victim to an outstanding pitching performance by Larson. He pitched a complete game, scattering eight hits and striking out eight to improve to 6-1 on the season.
 
TCNJ starter Steven Volpe (Cherry Hill, NJ/Eastern Regional) was the tough-luck loser. He pitched seven strong innings, limiting the Roardrunners to seven hits and three runs, while striking out two.
 
The Lions got their lone run of the game in the fifth. Sophomore Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) opened the inning with a triple to left field. Junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) followed with an infield single and Varone raced home for a 1-0 lead.
 
Ramapo tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning and also tallied single runs in the sixth and seventh. That would be enough as Larson threw up zeroes over the final four innings. The Lions threatened in the eighth with back-to-back hits by Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough), but Larson got out of the jam with a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
 
Cocuzza finished 2-for-3 and senior Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
 
Game 2: Ramapo: 8  TCNJ 1
 
Solid pitching and timely hitting keyed the Roadrunners victory in the back-end game.
 
A bases-loaded single by Ryan Rinsky knocked in two before run-scoring single by Rob DeAngelis. That gave the Road quick 3-0 advantage in the second.
 
Two base hits, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI-groundout led to another run in the third. In the sixth, Rafael Dela Cruz doubled with one out and Rinsky collected his third RBI with an infield single. Brandon Berger tripled to center field and crossed home plate on a DeAngelis sacrifice fly.
 
In the meantime, Portesy limited the Lion offense to just three hits over seven innings. He issued five free passes, but was able to keep TCNJ off the board, while striking out eight.
 
The Lions avoided the shutout by scratching a run across in the ninth. Freshman Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) doubled to left field, advanced to third on a ground ball to short by sophomore Alex Christian (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) and crossed home plate on a wild pitch.
 
Senior John Spinapont (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro), Carmon and Joe DiLorenzo (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) pitched for the Lions. DiLorenzo struck out three.
 
TCNJ has two days off from competition before visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Tuesday. They return home on Friday to take on Rutgers-Newark.