Union, N.J. (5/13/11) – The Kean University baseball team split in their final regular season matchup of 2011 as they fell to Farmingdale State College, 3-2, in the opener and defeated the Rams, 14-2, in the nightcap from Jim Hynes Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Senior Ken Gregory was a combined 5-for-7 with two homeruns and four runs scored for the Cougars whose record now stands at 36-8 while the Rams stand with a 25-14 record and have two games left on their regular season schedule as they will face off against Ithaca College on Saturday in a doubleheader.
Game One
Farmingdale jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as they loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. Junior Ryan McAllister delivered an RBI single and senior Frank Yera added an RBI infield single to put the Rams ahead. FSC added what would be the winning run in the top of the sixth as they pushed across a run all with two outs. Junior Danny DeVito got things going with a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He would move to third on a McAllister single and Yera recorded his second RBI of the game with another single to put the Rams up 3-0.
Kean answered with a single run in the bottom of the seventh as sophomore Stephen Nappe lined a two-out double off the wall to score Gregory who reached on a leadoff single. Gregory then inched the Cougars closer as he led off the ninth with a solo homerun, his tenth of the year, to put the score at 3-2. Southpaw J.R. Lott then entered the game and was able to get out of the game with the 3-2 win.
Reliever Matt De Ramo earned the win for Farmingdale. De Ramo (1-0) tossed three innings allowing just one run and four hits. Lott earned his third save of the year as he threw two thirds of an inning allowing just one walk. Junior Mike Russo suffered his first loss for Kean. Russo (9-1) allowed two runs and five hits in a predetermined three innings of work.
Junior Vinny Galya and rookie Tyler Smarslok each had two hits for the Cougars while Yera and McAllister had two apiece for the Rams.
Game Two
Kean pounded out 14 runs and 20 hits, including 11 hits in the first two frames, as they defeated Farmingdale, 14-2 in game two.
The Cougars opened the game up in the second inning scoring eight runs with six hits. Smarslok and catcher Sean Kelly led things off with singles and freshman Shane Alvarez drove in the second run of the game with an RBI single. Junior Lee Cavico followed with an RBI single of his own and Gregory recorded an RBI groundout to put Kean ahead, 4-0. Later in the frame senior Kyle Walker registered an RBI single and Nappe followed that with a two RBI triple for a comfortable 8-0 lead. Kelly rounded out the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Offensive highlights from the remainder of the contest included a two-out, two RBI single by Walker in the third and a solo shot from Gregory in the fifth, his 11th of the season.
Sophomore Sam Fourre earned the win in a predetermined rotation. Fourre (2-1) tossed three innings allowing just two hits, while fanning two. Junior Anthony Gionesi suffered the loss for Farmingdale. Gionesi (0-2) allowed six runs in an inning of work.
Offensively Kelly, Gregory, Walker and Alvarez each had three hits for the Cougars while freshman Anthony Ferrante had two of the Rams five hits in game two.
The Cougars and Rams await the announcement of the NCAA Regional bracket which is slated to be announced on Monday morning.