MAHWAH, N.J. – Senior Pierce Greenleaf bounced back from a rough debut to spin a shutout and junior Drew Roesch delivered the go-ahead double to lift Ursinus to a split of Sunday's non-league baseball twin bill at Ramapo.
Greenleaf's four-hitter, which came just over two weeks after he allowed 10 runs in 2.1 innings at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, paved the way for a 2-0 victory in Game 2 and capped a day of strong pitching for the Bears. Ursinus (3-8) allowed only six hits on the afternoon, but was done in by four errors in a 5-1 setback to open the doubleheader.
Game 1: Ramapo 5, Ursinus 1
The Bears outhit the Roadrunners, 5-2, but eight walks and a quartet of errors conspired against the visitors.
Sophomore Alex Mumme staked Ursinus to an early lead, belting a solo homer over the fence in left field for a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first.
Ramapo (10-6) managed to score twice in the bottom half without the benefit of a hit. Two free passes and a pair of miscues – one of which led to both runs – giftwrapped a big frame for the Roadrunners.
The hosts scored three more in the bottom of the third. Following a one-out sacrifice fly, the Roadrunners had only a man on first, but two straight hit batsmen and a bases-loaded walk chased Ursinus junior David Drea from the game and forced in another run. A second base on balls made it 5-1.
The Bears were unable to mount much of a threat against Ramapo ace Cory Heitler, who struck out 15 against only two walks. Heitler whiffed four in the fourth along – one batter reached on a wild pitch – and struck out three in the seventh to close it out.
Drea (1-2) surrendered only two hits, but was charged with five runs (three earned) and five walks in 2.2 innings. Senior Steve DiStefano allowed only a walk in 2.1 frames, and junior Mark LeDuc handled a scoreless sixth.
Game 2: Ursinus 2, Ramapo 0
Greenleaf was brilliant in the nightcap, and the Bears needed every bit of it against Ramapo's Jerry D'Andrea, who struck out 13 without a walk in a complete-game effort.
Both teams had opportunities, limited as they were. Ursinus wasted leadoff doubles in the third (by sophomore Mike Stanziale) and in the sixth (by sophomore Kyle Supran), and Ramapo had men on first and second with only one out in the sixth, but Greenleaf induced back-to-back flyouts to escape unscathed.
That set the stage for a breakthrough in the seventh, when Stanziale's one-out single and a double by freshman Connor Barrett put two men in scoring position for Roesch, who plated both with a two-base knock to center.
Greenleaf struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 seventh to finish off his second career shutout and third complete game.
Roesch's game-winning hit was his second of the season; he also had the go-ahead RBI single in an 8-6 win at Occidental.
Stanziale was 2-for-3 with his fourth career double and a run, while Barrett and Supran each registered their first career two-bagger.
Up Next
Ursinus heads to Immaculata for a non-conference game on Wednesday before welcoming Gwynedd Mercy to Thomas Field for its long-awaited home opener on Thursday.