UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Two-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion and No. 8/9 ranked Kean University scored six runs in the second and three more in the third before opening an 11-0 lead in the fifth and the Cougars eased past New Jersey City University, 14-4, in the first game of a two-day New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home baseball series on Thursday at Jim Hynes `63 Baseball Stadium.
Kean (20-7, 5-2), ranked No. 8 by D3baseball.com and No. 9 by the American Baseball Coaches Association, reached the 20th-win plateau for the 13th consecutive season. NJCU (11-15, 1-6 NJAC) has lost the last 18 meetings since 2002 against KU.
The game marked the first trip to Union for NJCU under first-year head coach Jerry Smith and new pitching coach Nick Cesare—both former Kean standouts as players.
Sophomore left fielder Joe O'Connor (Wharton, NJ/Morris Hills) led Kean's 15-hit attack, going 2-for-3 with five RBIs and three runs scored, including his fifth homerun of the season—a second inning grand slam, while drawing two walks. Sophomore first baseman Nick Zucchero (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) scored four runs, batting 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
In defeat for NJCU, freshman right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), a past NJAC Rookie of the Week, was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, one run and a double. Junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had one RBI. NJCU collected seven hits in the loss.