Rangers, Mariners Play to 10 Inning Draw

Box Score
MADISON, N.J. (March 29, 2011) - In the finale of the three-game series that began on Sunday afternoon in Staten Island, a winner could not be decided as darkness fell over Doc Young Field Tuesday evening. After 10 innings of baseball both Merchant Marine and Drew played to a 4-4 tie.

Drew (5-11-1, 0-5-1 Landmark) seized the early momentum in the game grabbing a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. Kyle O'Neill (Basking Ridge, N.J./Gill St.-Benards) led off the bottom of the first inning with a double that sailed over the left fielder's head. After moving to third on a ground out, O'Neill came around to score when Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) punched a ball into right field for his first of two hits on the day.

The resilient Merchant Marine (7-4-1, 3-2-1) squad answered in the top half of the second inning, capitalizing off a Ranger error with an RBI triple by Warren Hartman that knotted the score at one. Drew's starting pitcher Pat Rock (Cranston, R.I./Providence Country Day) would keep a Mariner offense that posted 20 runs in Sunday's doubleheader in check. Rock would pitch into the eighth inning, scattering five hits and allowing only two runs.

The Ranger offense would grab the lead again in the bottom of the third inning with the help of another lead-off double. Sophomore Neil Cashes (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional) shot a ball down the left field line that was officially scored a ground-rule double to get the inning started. Cashes would move to third on a wild pitch by Mariner starting pitcher Timothy Arner and scored a batter later on a Steve DeBonis (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) sacrifice fly.

Arner, who went all 10 innings for the Mariners, would keep the Rangers in check all the way up to the bottom of the seventh, right after his offense tied the game for the second time. With the game all square at two going in the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers would get another lead-off hit, this time a single by Matthew Kaplon (Palisades Park, N.J./Palisades Park) to get their rally going. The next batter, Drew Obergfell (Cranford, N.J./Roselle Catholic) walked putting the first two runners aboard. Two batters later Kaplon would race all the way from second on a booted ground ball by the Mariner second baseman to recapture the lead, 3-2. The Rangers would add one more run in the frame when O'Neill delivered a two-out single to left field.

The Mariners would threaten twice in their final two turns at bat and eventually tie the game in the top of the ninth. The Rangers were able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth thanks to an unassisted double play from the shortstop, O'Neill. Drew would not be so lucky in the ninth. After the Mariners loaded the bases on two walks and an error, RBI singles by pinch-hitter Andy Martin and lead-off man John Hubach would tie the game at four. The Rangers were fortunate on Martin's single as the sharply hit ball hit the base runner Nicholas Dimas stopping play and more importantly halting runners at second and third.

Both teams put the go-ahead run on second base in their final trips to the plate in the 10th but neither team was able to push another run around.

Middle infielders, O'Neill and Bodden, combined for four hits and two RBIs to lead the Ranger offense.

The Rangers will be back in action on Thursday afternoon when they travel to New Jersey City University for a non-conference tilt. Game time in Jersey City is set for 3:30.