Union, N.J. (3/24/17) – Senior Brock Podgurski was 4-for-4 while classmate Mike Occhi tossed five and a third innings of scoreless relief for the win as the Kean University baseball team scored 11 unanswered runs to top the College of Staten Island, 11-5 on Friday afternoon.
Occhi (3-0) allowed just two walks with no hits and two strikeouts.
The Dolphins (6-3) held the early momentum and plated two runs in the first and third sandwiched around a single run in the second. Frank Muzzio recorded an RBI double while Nick Meola followed with an RBI single in the first. Bobby Drake provided the RBI in the second with a no out single and Meola started off the third with a solo blast to left for the early 4-0 lead. Later in the third, Anthony DiMarco scored on a wild pitch with two outs to stake the Dolphins to a five run advantage.
#25 Kean (12-7) swung the momentum back in their direction in the bottom of the fourth as Matt Krupa started things off with a hustle double. Rookie Nick Polizzano added a single and senior Frank Urso put the first Cougar run of the day on the board with an RBI single. Kean added two more in the frame as Mike Fidanza recorded a fielder's choice RBI.
The Cougars then tied things in their half of the fifth as Polizzano roped a double down the line for two runs with two outs.
Kean blew the game open in the seventh with a five spot. With two outs and the bases loaded, Podgurski dropped a perfectly placed bunt for a hit, but an errant lob to third by the pitcher with no one covering cleared the bases and left Podgurski standing at second. Catcher Nik Fraim followed with Kean's first homer of the season, a two run shot to left to push Kean out to a 10-5 advantage.
The Cougars were able to scratch across one more in the eighth on a CSI miscue.
Offensively, Polizzano and Urso each had two hits. For CSI, Frank Sconzo was 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the leadoff spot.
The Cougars return to action on Tuesday when they host St. Joseph's College-Long Island.