Myers, Rangers Tame Bearcats

Box Score
MADISON, N.J. (April 14, 2011) – Ranger starting pitcher Ken Myers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) pitched into the ninth inning, striking out four, in a 7-3 victory over Baruch College this afternoon. The freshman allowed only three runs, two of them in the ninth inning, for his second victory of the spring.

Lead-off man Kyle O'Neill (Basking Ridge, N.J./Gill St. Benards) and senior Coury Napier (Chester, Conn./Valley Regional) combined for four of the Rangers eight hits and drove in two runs to lead the Ranger offense.

Drew (8-18-1) jumped out to the early, 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first when Tom Murray (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) scored O'Neill on a sacrifice fly to center. After stranding two runners in the first two at bats, Baruch (9-14) tied the game in the bottom of the third on a double steal. Potti Ben Pradusri, who  advanced to third earlier in the inning, scored when Thomas Daly got himself in a rundown attempting to steal second.

The Rangers bounced back in the bottom of the inning, recapturing the lead courtesy of a Benny Lyman (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) double to left center field that scored Steve DeBonis (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham). The floodgates opened up for the Rangers in the bottom of the fourth as they forced Baruch starting pitcher, Justin Torres out of the game. Between Torres and reliever Jason Valentin, the Rangers were issued five walks in the frame including two with the bases loaded.

After surrendering a run in the third inning, Myers cruised and was backed by a solid effort from his defense. The freshman induced 12 fly ball outs and scattered five hits over his next five innings of work. He was relieved in the ninth inning by Pat Rock (Cranston, R.I./Providence Country Day) after surrendering back-to-back hits to lead-off the inning. The Bearcats pushed both runners across on RBI ground outs before Rock got a comebacker back to the mound to end the game.

The Rangers will look to build momentum going into their final Landmark road trip of the season tomorrow in Scranton. Due to impending weather in the Scranton area over the weekend the two teams will play a nine inning game at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon and begin a doubleheader on Saturday at 11:00 AM.