Kean's Matt Meleo slides in safely on Tyler Smarslok's first-inning double. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com

By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Kean broke the game open with six runs in the sixth and snapped its six-game losing streak in the Division III World Series by defeating Webster 14-8 in the final game of the day.

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The first seven batters reached base in the inning, which saw 10 batters come to the plate against three pitchers for the Gorloks (36-11). The Cougars had two doubles, a walk and took advantage of an error in taking a 9-3 lead.

Kean hadn’t won since defeating Trinity (Conn.) in the first round of the 2009 World Series. The Cougars lost the final two games in that championship round, then went two-and-out in 2011 and 2012. Since winning the 2007 national championship, Kean had lost eight out of nine games in Appleton.

“It’s definitely a monkey off our shoulders,” said junior second baseman Tyler Smarslok. “That was our theme last year, but we finally got it this year. I’m definitely happy. This is my third year here and it feels really good to get the first win.”

Freshman first baseman Salvatore Taormina provided the big blow in the sixth-inning rally with a two-run double, a ball which Webster left fielder Corey Lasky bobbled over the fence down the third-base line.

Taormina, who had committed a pair of errors on the same play that allowed Webster to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning, was glad to get a shot in a big spot: “I knew that I had to help my team some way. I knew the error didn’t help, so I figured getting a hit would probably help a little bit more.”

Webster put up five runs in the final two innings, including three of them off one of Kean’s top relievers, Chris Amato.

“Today was really really sloppy on our part,” said Kean coach Neil Ioverio. “This isn’t a game that we are used to playing. I think we had eight walks. Eight runs on eight hits are hard. You gotta help them out. We made three errors. We don’t normally play like that.”

Kevin Herget, who started and went eight innings for the Cougars, came out after the rally and made quick work of the Gorloks, striking out the side in order.

“I think it’s really important after a big inning like that to just get our bats back in to hit,” Herget said. “It deflates them, for one, and gets us back at bat where we’re swinging the bat well.”

Kean jumped on Webster starter Steven Dooley early, as center fielder Matt Meleo led off the game with a walk and second baseman Tyler Smarslok brought him around with a double over the head of left fielder Corey Lasky to score Meleo. Andy Lopez followed with a single to left to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.

After Herget set down the first seven Gorloks in order, Webster rallied in the third. Ian Foege and Ryan Hall started the inning with back-to-back singles and an error by Cougars shortstop Nick Ramagli loaded the bases with one out. Lasky knocked in a run with an infield groundout to cut the lead to 2-1. After Taylor Stoulp walked to reload the bases, Mike Rainbolt hit a grounder that first baseman Taormina bobbled, then threw away, allowing Webster to take a 3-2 lead.

“I started looking away from the fastball a little bit,” Hall said. “Toward the middle and end of the game he was coming with the fastball toward the end of the counts. Besides that, my first at-bat I saw fastball, second at-bat I saw changeups and third at-bat I saw fastballs.”

Ryan Kelley hustled the Cougars into a tie game in the top of the fifth. The right fielder led off with a hit to center field which he legged into a double. Kelley advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Michael Kendall’s sacrifice fly.

Dooley went the first five-plus innings, giving up six runs, all earned, in taking his third loss of the season. Herget struck out nine, allowing just five hits while walking five for the Cougars, improving to 10-2.

Taormina went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead Kean, while Lopez was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

Webster was led by Hall, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Mike Rainbolt was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Kean will face UW-Stevens Point on Saturday night in the final game of the day, scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m. CT. Webster moves to the losers’ bracket, where it will face Manchester. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m.

“I think the nice thing is we kind of came through the losers’ bracket in the regionals and had a good mindset going through that,” said Webster coach Bill Kurich. “We realize that if we play well we’re fine. We just didn’t play very well. When you don’t do those things against a team like Kean, it’s going to be this kind of a night.”

Kean postgame news conference

Webster postgame news conference