By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
EASTLAKE, Ohio - Joey Frammartino hit a bomb to right and the Gulls survived a shaky start by Charlie Hale to get their second World Series win ever, a 6-4 victory of Kean, in the D-III World Series being played at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio.
"A very good baseball game," said Endicott head coach Bryan Haley. "Impressed with Kean's starter. He pitched with courage and competitiveness."
"We got two good teams going," said Kean head coach Neil Ioviero. "In hindsight, this was a winnable game in a sense that we had the All-American out of the game after four innings."
Both squads were keeping the outfielders busy with the majority of the outs coming via the fly ball.
"We force contact early," said Haley. "As long as they make weak contact, I don't care how if it is on the ground or in the air."
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| Jake Harmony earned the win in relief of All-American Charlie Hale with four effective innings. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com | More photos from this game |
Kean opened the scoring with a run in the first. Dominic Masino singled and Kyle Adorno was set to sacrifice. Endicott left third base open and as Masino got to second, saw no fielder at third and moved up a base. A two out single that fell ahead of the centerfielder by Dan Reiste scored Masino. Endicott would threaten in their half of the inning but would not be able to get a runner home.
Kean added another run in the second. Justin Teixeira single to right and was followed by single by Nick Sellari. Masino struck out for the second out of the inning with Kyle Adorno plating Teixeira with a safety to left.
- D3baseball.com World Series Scoreboard
- D-III World Series Record Book
- D3baseball.com World Series Program
Endicott got two runners on in the second but this time got a clutch hit by the Gull's leadoff hitter, Zach Stephenson. Stephenson's single to right brought in AJ Hamm who walked three batters earlier.
In the third inning, Kean scored their third two-out run of the game. Brett Hilsheiner got into one and sent the ball onto the tarp in left field.
Endicott tied the score in the bottom of the third on a double by John Mulready. Kyle Grabowski, on base with a single to right, and Cade Bernardo on with a walk both scored as Mulready's drive split the right and centerfielders.
Endicott got their first lead of the game on a Frammartino's two run home run that cleared the Messiah squad watching the game on the right field lawn and off the shed behind them. Stephenson, who was hit by a pitch, scored ahead of Frammartino.
Grabowski put an exclamation point on the win with a seventh inning home run to left.
Hale, the Endicott starter lasted 4.1 innings and was relieved by Jake Harmony. Hale gave up three runs on six hits and three walks. He had five strikeouts. Harmony earned the win as he gave way to the Endicott closer in the ninth. Harmony pitcher 4.0 innings, allowing one unearned run in the ninth on two hits. He struckout two. Brady Stuart closed out the win for his third save. He pitched got the final two out with a clean slate.
"They got to Hale a little early," said Haley. "We were not as loose as we needed to be. Once we scored a few runs, we got to playing the way we are capable of."
"We got off to a good start," said Ioviero. "Their reliever did an excellent job throwing strikes. We struggled from the fourth to the eighth as we went on a lull."
Lucas White went the distance for Kean. He allowed six runs on nine hits. He walked three and struckout five.
"Lucas wenth out there and battled," said Ioviero. "He ate innings for us. I think we just left some at-bats out there."
Adorno had two hits for Kean and Stephenson and Grabowski had two for Endicott. Macdougall drove in two for the Gulls with Adorno doing the same for Kean. Teixeira and Grabowski score two runs.
Endicott will play the winner between Johns Hopkins and Messiah, with the loser of game two playing Kean in Saturday's first game.
"This is better than losing," said Haley who previously had a 1-4 record in the World Series. "We get to enjoy today, to feel confident. We will wake up tomorrow with a win already under our belt."