Union, N.J. (3/8/15) – The Kean University baseball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk away with a 5-4 win over visiting St. Joseph's College-Long Island Sunday in the opener.

Trailing 4-2 in their last at-bat, junior Sal Taormina led off the frame with his fourth hit of the day, a single up the middle.  A four pitch walk to senior Andy Lopez put runners on first and second and a sacrifice from junior Ryan Kelley moved them both into scoring position.  Pinch-hitter Anthony Fischetti then legged out an infield single off a dribbler up the first base line, scoring Taormina from third.  Heads up running from Lopez revealed that home plate was left uncovered and the foot race was on as Lopez tied the game up at four-all.  Fischetti (pictured left) then moved himself into scoring position swiping both second and third.  Pinch-hitter Eric Fernandez then worked a full-count walk and after he too took second, pinch-hitter Scott Durkin recorded what would be the game-winning RBI with a soft hit ball down the third base line.

The Golden Eagles (0-1) took advantage of three walks, four wild pitches and an error in their first at-bat to jump out to a 3-0 lead.  The #7/15 Cougars (4-0) got one back in the same inning as Taormina lined a two-out single into the gap, scoring junior Matt Meleo who reached via a leadoff walk.

Sophomore southpaw Mike Occhi entered the game in the second and settled things down pretty quickly recording two pickoffs and a strikeout looking to end the threat.  He then controlled the entire contest, with only a blemish in the seventh inning with two doubles sandwiched around three groundouts.  Anthony Bonilla recorded the RBI in the frame.

Occhi (1-0) tossed eight innings of relief allowing one run and six hits with no walks and four strikeouts.  Nick Girardi (0-1) suffered the loss after entering in the top of the ninth.

Taormina was 4-for-4 with two RBI and one runs scored.  Bonilla and Girardi each picked up two hits in the loss.