The DeSales University baseball team concluded its season with a 34‑14 record, capping a run that included a ninth straight MAC Freedom Championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
The Bulldogs entered the regional final with a reputation for hitting the ball hard, out‑hitting their opponents in both games, but the narrow margins of college baseball turned those advantages into heartbreak.
A Missed Opportunity in the Ninth
In the opening contest, DeSales found itself trailing 10‑7 after a seventh‑inning rally that saw the Bulldogs score twice to cut the deficit, following a two‑run homer by Dominic Berretta in the fourth and an RBI ground out from Jacob Rivera in the sixth.
The ninth inning presented a chance for a comeback; with the bases loaded and two outs, the Bulldogs could not push across the tying run, leaving the game out of reach.
The second game unfolded similarly, as Ramapo surged to an 11‑5 victory after taking an early 1‑0 lead in the second inning and expanding the margin with three runs in the third following a fielding error.
Ramapo’s offense continued to pull away, adding runs in the fifth and sixth to reach a 10‑1 lead, before DeSales answered with two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth, the latter driven by Owen Yoder’s two hits and two scored runs.
Reliever Will Haman turned in a solid performance, limiting Ramapo to just two hits and one run over four innings, while Jacob Rivera contributed two hits and two RBIs to the effort.
Despite the defeats, the season will be remembered for its historic milestones, the resilience shown by a squad that combined power hitting with gritty pitching, and the promise of a bright future for the program.