After a strong start to the season with a 4-2 win against Montville, the Boys Baseball team has been rolling along at a nice clip. At press time, the team was enjoying a 6-2 record, after picking up big wins against Top 20-ranked Seton Hall Prep and Delbarton, and was looking to bounce back after a loss against Montville on April 19 to continue their successful season.

“I think we have had a great start to the season so far,” Rams second baseman Connor Stokoe said. “We’ve had a lot of great games so far, and hopefully, we keep this up.”

The team set the winning tone in the season opener, in a clutch win against Montville. The game went into extra innings and in the top of the eighth, Stokoe hit a ground rule double, moving Randolph into the lead.

In the next game versus Mount Olive, Randolph came back from a 5-2 deficit to win 11-8. The Rams then won handily against Roxbury and Chatham. After an unfortunate loss against West Morris, the team was poised to make a comeback, which they did with a win against Roxbury, 13-7.

That was followed by a season highlight win against Delbarton. Despite being down 3-0 after the first inning, the Rams rallied to win, 12-10. This victory was sweet as it was the first time that Randolph had beaten Delbarton since 2014.

“We have a very strong squad and I feel like we belong with teams like Delbarton,” Rams left fielder Jacob Corsaro said. “We were confident going into the game, and we believed that we would beat them.”

“We try to keep strong mental toughness throughout the game,” Stokoe said. “Always knowing we’re in the game, no matter the situation, has been the reason we’ve been so successful. The chemistry has been there since the scrimmages and has carried on to opening day.”

Great pitching and batting have been critical to the team’s success. James Kleiven has been a great producer for the team; with seven RBIs, a team-leading 25 strikeouts and two homeruns, Kleiven has helped the team on both sides of the mound.

Tommy Martin has also been a force to be reckoned with, leading the team with the best ERA of 3.09. AJ Terry has also contributed to the team’s success, leading with nine runs scored and nine hits.

In addition to having a 6-2 season record, Randolph now has a one-game lead in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) American Division. Now 5-1 in the division, the Rams have a one-game lead over Delbarton, who is 4-2 in the division.

“I believe in this team. I think next time we’ll mercy rule Delby,” Corsaro said, in a clear display of the Randolph team’s confidence, team chemistry and unwillingness to give up that has helped propel them to success.

The Rams play Pope John next, at home today.