HOBOKEN, N.J. (Feb. 28, 2016) – The Drew University baseball team fell victim to home field advantage at Stevens Institute of Technology, who squeaked out a walk-off base on balls in the ninth inning to win 6-5 on Sunday afternoon in the 2016 season opener.
 
Stevens had a chance to close out the contest earlier in the top of ninth with a 5-4 lead. However, junior catcher Mike Miraglia had different plans and wasted little time executing them. The reigning Rangers MVP led the inning off with a blast over the right-center field fence to tie the game at 5-5. It was the second home run of Miraglia's career, and the third RBI of the day. The junior catcher went 3-for-5 with a triple, eight total bases and two runs scored in the opener.
 
The Ducks loaded the bases with just one out with last licks in the ninth, and drew a walk to take the victory. Sophomore shortstop Isaiah Mateo batted 2-for-3 with two runs in the nine-hole, while junior third baseman Jonathan Rodrigues finished the day 2-for-4 and a walk.
 
It was the fifth game of the season for Stevens, who improves its record to 3-2 after losing its third straight contest. The Ducks opened the 2016 season on Feb. 19 with a 3-2 win over the No. 5 team in the country, Kean University. The Rangers begin the 2016 season with an 0-1 record.
 
Junior Ryan Fitzpatrick got the call for the first start on the mound and turned in 3.1 innings with one run, four hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Sophomore closer Joe Dahut took the loss for the Rangers.
 
The first runs of 2016 came by way of a two-out rally in the top of the third. Mateo started the spurt with a hard single to right field, followed by some sloppy pitching from the Ducks' starter, who hit two straight Rangers to load the bases. Miraglia singled to right field to drive home the first two runs of the season for a 2-0 Drew lead.
 
Stevens cut that lead in half in the bottom half of the frame, but Fitzpatrick and his defense escaped further trouble by leaving the bases loaded. Keeping the Ducks at bay paid off in the fifth inning, when Mateo got his second base hit of the day to lead off the inning, and came all the way around to score two batters later when Miskura singled him home for the 3-1 advantage. Stevens escaped further trouble of their own by throwing Miskura out at home for the third out as he tried to score on a single by Rodrigues.
 
Stevens crept closer in the fifth, and up 3-2 now, Drew called on junior designated hitter Tommy Broyles for some insurance in the seventh. With Miraglia on third after a booming triple to the center field fence, and one out, Broyles made a productive out and scored Miraglia on a groundout for the 4-2 lead. The Ducks quickly responded in the bottom half of the seventh, but with some aid from the Rangers. A hit batter, a walk, a wild pitch and a fielding error led to two unearned runs a tie game, 4-4, heading into the eighth.
 
Stevens went ahead in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the dramatic back-and-forth final inning.
 
The Rangers are scheduled to play on another turf field at an in-state rival on Wednesday, March 2 at William Paterson University with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Wayne, N.J.