After opening the season with a narrow loss against the number four ranked Kean University, the Drew Rangers Baseball team took on its cross town rivals at the Madison Ave Challenge. The Rangers outscored their opponents 21-8 in total over the course of all their games, with their potent lineup performing well.
The first of the two games was against Saint Elizabeth University, on Feb. 20. Nicholas Lo Vacco (‘29) had his first signature moment in a Ranger uniform, earning his first win, tossing 4 1/3 innings, with only one earned run and six strikeouts. The offense scored six runs in the third inning, with Frank Master (‘28) and Zach Maxwell (‘28) hitting a two RBI triple and two RBI double, respectively.
The Rangers then exploded in the 5th inning, plating 12 runs. They capitalized on a struggling Eagles’ pitching staff that let up eight walks in the inning, with 18 overall in the game. At the end of the fifth, the game was called due to darkness, giving Drew a 19-5 win.
The Battle of Madison Ave wrapped up the following day, with a deciding game between the Rangers and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Devils to determine the champion of the annual tournament, as both teams took down St. Elizabeth in their opening game. Another student, Jayce Thoroughman (‘29), had a strong first start for Drew. He threw 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball, with five hits and five strikeouts.
After trailing 2-0 for most of the game, an RBI triple from freshman Nick D’Onofrio helped get the Rangers on the board in the 8th inning. The next batter, Anthony Vallaro (‘28), plated D’Onofrio with an RBI single to level the score at two apiece. After getting shutout in the top of the 9th, however, FDU-Florham dramatically won the back-and-forth affair in walk-off fashion. The Devils took home the Battle of Madison Ave title, while Drew left with a 1-1 record on the weekend
The Rangers, 1-2 on the season, travel to Auborndale, F.L., next, over spring break, for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, where they’ll open the tournament against Bethany College. Drew has its Conference opener at Catholic University, March 14, before its home opener against The City College of New York, on March 19.
Nathan Moldover is a freshman double majoring in philosophy and political science.
