2019 NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series
RECAP
Greeneville, Tenn. (May 25, 2019) – In the first game of their excursion to an eighth NJCAA Division III College World Series crown, the Roadrunners rode spectacular pitching performances from sophomores Mike Biasiello and Nick Evangelista to cruise to a 6-1 victory over the Community College of Rhode Island Saturday night.
"I didn't have my best offspeed today," Biasiello said. "But every time I go out to the mound I compete and battle. Being a sophomore you have to show leadership out there, mine was to show our freshman that we need to put up zeroes, and if we do that, we'll win the game. I think we're the best team here."
In a game that was delayed two hours because of play earlier in the day exceeding scheduled times, the wait for nightcap of the first day of the culminating tournament of the season for the eight teams gathered in Greeneville, Tenn. didn't bother Biasiello, who went 4.1 innings and allowed just two hits while striking out five. Lifted for his teammate Evangelista in the fifth, the reliever would allow one hit in the frame to score the inherited runner that was on second base when Biasiello departed, only to retire 13 of the final 14 he faced to put the clamps down on the Runners 40th victory of the season.
The pair combined for 12 strikeouts and Evangelista picked up his eighth win of the season to stay perfect on the year, nary a loss to his name.
"We split it up just the way we drew it up on the chalkboard," head coach Rob Valli said. "4.1 and 4.2 (innings) and yes, those 12 combined strikeouts, but most importantly finishing innings with strikeouts, which gave us momentum."
Offensively, the middle third of the order keyed a solid all-around night for RCGC. Freshman Jack Billings, hitting cleanup, raised his batting average to nearly .500 on the season by going 3-3, reaching every time he came to the plate and scoring three of the four times he reached. In the sixth spot in the order, freshman Dauri Genao joined Billings by tallying three hits, the pair combining for six of the team's nine, and also collected two RBI along with Ryan Murphy and nine-hitter Jose Correa, who put together a clutch two-out at-bat that ended with a two-run triple in the three-run fourth inning.
"Correa came up with that big triple to score two," Valli said. "That really opened up the game with our pitchers on the mound. Those insurance runs late were helpful to close it out."
With the win, the Roadrunners advance in the winners' bracket to face Oakton Community College, who handled Herkimer 11-2 in the 4 vs. 5 matchup earlier in the day. The Runners second game of the tournament is scheduled for 7pm ET from the site of the 2019 NJCAA Division III College World Series, Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tenn. on the campus of Tusculum University.
To follow along live with statistics, video, or both, click here and scroll midway down the page to Game 8.
For more on Roadrunner athletics, follow us on Twitter @RCGCAthletics or visit RCRoadrunners.com.
GAME PREVIEW
The RCGC Baseball team has been selected the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming 2019 NJCAA Division III World Series to be held at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, TN.
The Roadrunners, who swept to the Region XIX championship on May 17-18 by rolling past Northampton, Cumberland and Brookdale, will play their first game on Saturday, May 25 against No. 8 seed Rhode Island at 7:00 pm. All games from the tournament will be shown live by NJCAATV - links below!
Tournament information...
May 25 - May 29/30, 2019
Pioneer Park | Tusculum University | Greeneville, TN
Address: 60 Shiloh Road, Greeneville, TN 37743
Host: Greene County Partnership Sports Council | 423-638-4111
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Game 1: No. 6 Century (36-10) vs No. 3 Cumberland County (43-5), 10:00 a.m.
Live Stats | Video
Game 2: No. 7 Rockingham (33-10) vs No. 2 Brookhaven (38-25), 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Video
Game 3: No. 5 Oakton (36-20) vs No. 4 Herkimer (35-4-2), 4:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Video
Game 4: No. 8 Rhode Island (26-10) vs No. 1 Rowan Gloucester (39-9), 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Video
Saturday matchup RCGC vs. CCRI1 seed Rowan College at Gloucester County vs. #8 seed Community College of Rhode Island |
Preview Videos:
GAMEDAY GRAPHICS
