Union, N.J. (4/28/12) – The #10/13 Kean University baseball team split with visiting William Paterson University in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on the final day of the NJAC regular season as WP wins game one, 6-1 and Kean stays on top, 7-3 in the nightcap.
With today's action Kean claims the #2 seed in the upcoming tournament with a 13-5 mark in the NJAC (28-10 overall). William Paterson stands with an 11-7 mark in conference play and a 29-11 overall record this season. WP takes the #4 seed and will travel to #3 Rowan on Tuesday.
Game One
Southpaw James Young earned the complete game win as he allowed just one unearned run and eight singles. Young (3-0) also fanned six.
The Pioneers scored single runs in the third and sixth to take a 2-0 lead. Former Cougar Ryan Gibbons laced a two-out double down the right field line for an RBI in the third and came around to score off a Cougar miscue in the sixth. William Paterson put the game out of reach with a three spot in the eighth. Senior Jack Montanile got things started with an RBI single. Later in the frame, junior James Lauer recorded a two RBI double to left for a 5-0 advantage.
Trailing 6-0 in the ninth, Kean broke up the shutout with a single run in their final at-bat. Sophomore Joe O'Connor registered an RBI single, scoring Eddie Jennings who reached on a leadoff single.
Junior Kevin Herget suffered the loss. Herget (5-4) allowed five earned runs and seven hits in eight and a third innings of work. He struck out 10 and walked five.
Game Two
Kean used a balanced scoring attack to earn a split in today's action. The Cougars plated single runs in the first and third as senior Steve Sanguiliano lofted a sacrifice fly in the first and senior D.J. Breckenridge crossed the plate in the third off a throwing miscue. The Pioneers tied things up in their half of the fourth as senior Adam Derner recorded an RBI double and later in the inning senior Rob Somers registered an RBI single.
The Cougars took the lead for good with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the sixth rookie Andy Lopez tallied an RBI single while Jennings did the same.
Southpaw Ryan Zamorsky earned the win in game two. Zamorsky (7-1) allowed two unearned runs and five hits in seven innings of work. He allowed five walks with two strikeouts. Sanguiliano tossed two innings of relief with three strikeouts.