Moosic, Pa. (5/19/13) – The Kean University baseball team made it three in a row and six out of the last seven as they claimed the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional with a 6-1 win over Keystone College on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars (38-11) will face Webster University (36-10) in the final matchup of day one in Wisconsin with a first-pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m. local time. Kean is no stranger to Webster University as the two matched up in the series last year with Webster edging Kean in the ninth inning by the final of 8-7.
In today's action, sophomore Charles Thielmann proved to be the workhorse as he got the start on the mound with just two days rest. Coming off a complete game win on Thursday over Alvernia University, Thielmann was up for the challenge again today and battled through with another complete game win, his 10th win of the season. With that win, Thielmann tied the single-season win mark at Kean. In today's action, Thielmann (10-2) scattered seven hits, with one run coming in the ninth. He also fanned five and walked just two. For his efforts, Thielmann was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
The Cougars scratched across their first runs of the day in the fifth as senior Nick Ramagli hustled to first with a bunt single, scoring junior Tyler Smarslok who reached via his 19th hit-by-pitch this season. Later in the inning, freshman Ryan Kelley made it 2-0 with an RBI single to left. Kean tacked on two more in the sixth as junior Joe O'Connor worked a bases-loaded walk followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Salvatore Taormina.
In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Andy Lopez found a hole in the infield for a leadoff single. Ramagli then launched his third homerun of the season, a two run blast to left, to push the lead out to 6-0.
Keystone (37-10) erased the shutout with three straight singles to start off the ninth. But Thielmann was able to work out of it with a double-play (Kean's fourth of the day) and a flyout to seal the win.
Lopez was 3-for-3 with a double, while Smarslok was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Ramagli finished with three RBI and two runs scored.
For their efforts in the tournament, Lopez, O'Connor and Ramagli were all named to the All-Tournament team.