Rangers Walk-Off in Game Two, Split With Eagles

MADISON, N.J. (April 2, 2011) – Freshman Matthew Kaplon (Palisades Park, N.Y./Palisades Park) followed a game-tying home run by Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) with a triple in the bottom of the eighth that scored the winning run in a 5-4 Ranger victory. Juniata took game one earlier in the day, 4-1.

Game 2- Box Score

Drew (6-13-1, 1-6-1) saved all their offense for the final three innings of the game and got a strong effort from starting pitcher Evan Martens (Avon, Conn./Avon) who went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out five.

Juniata (9-12, 2-6) built a 2-0 lead thanks to a run in both the third and fourth inning. The Rangers finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning when Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) reached for the first time in the game on a walk. He stole second and later scored on an overthrow to first making the score 2-1.

Trailing by a run in the final inning, the Rangers got the first runner aboard on a lead-off walk by Drew Obergfell (Cranford, N.J./Roselle Catholic). He was relieved by pinch runner Neil Cashes (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional), who was sacrificed over to second base by Coury Napier (Chester, Conn./Valley Regional). Eagle starting pitcher Matt Regan retired the next two batters leaving the Rangers down to their final out.

Head Coach Vince Masco elected to go to his bench and sent pinch hitter Aaron Shanklin (Pasadena, Calif./Marshall Fundamental) to the plate with two out and the winning run 90 feet away. The move paid off and the freshman delivered a single to right field to tie the game at two forcing extra frames.

The momentum built in the bottom of the seventh was quickly lost, as the Eagles came back and posted two runs in the top of the eighth inning. With Martens day done after seven, the Eagles took advantage scoring two runs off RBI singles by Johnny Martinez and Joe Sforza.

Now trailing by two in their final at bat the Rangers delivered one more time, this time the knockout blow. Lead-off hitter Steve DeBonis (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) was hit by a pitch, bringing the tying run to the plate for the Rangers. Bodden stepped in and took a 3-2 fastball over the left field wall to tie the game back up at four.

One more Eagle walk came back to haunt them, as the next batter Justin Mancini (Haskell, N.J./Lakeland Regional) was awarded a free pass putting the winning run on first. Another successful sacrifice by the Rangers, this time by Mike Weiss (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside), moved Mancini to second setting the stage for Kaplon. The freshman drilled a fastball to straightaway centerfield that one-hopped the fence easily scoring Mancini for the winning run.

Game One- Box Score

The Eagles took advantage of four Ranger errors, building an early 4-0 lead that would be more than enough to pick up their second conference win of the season. Juniata's starting pitcher John Love scattered six hits, allowing only one run and striking out four batters for his second win of the spring.

The Eagle 2-3-4 hitters combined for three runs, six hits and three RBI to pace the Juniata offense. The Rangers lone run came unearned in the fifth inning. Kyle O'Neill (Basking Ridge, N.J./Gill St. Benards) reached on an error, stole second and came around on another Eagle error by the catcher trying to gun out a runner at second base.

Drew starter Tom Koontz (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) went the distance for the Rangers allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out one.

The Rangers look to capture its first conference series tomorrow at noon when they wrap up the three game set against the Juniata Eagles at Doc Young Field.