Union, N.J. (2/24/14) – Senior Joe O'Connor tallied two RBI and two hits as the Kean University baseball team came out with a win after the game was called for darkness against Neumann University by the final of 4-3.

The Knights, playing in their season opener, were able to take the lead in the top of the ninth with two runs.  Junior Matt Sheneman drove home outfielder Cam Stimpson to knot the game at four-all.  Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Ryan Ficca drew a bases loaded walk to give the Knights a 5-4 advantage.  With the sun already set while the Knights were still at-bat, the Cougars needed their final at-bat to force a tie or win.  With senior Shane Alvarez at the plate and a 1-1 count, the umpires converged and declared that it was too dark to finish the contest.  By rule 5.8.b, a regulation game shall be that of the last equal inning played and each team must play an equal number of innings unless shortened because the home team needs none or only part of its half of the final inning.  Because the Cougars were unable to complete their half of the ninth inning, the game was reverted back to the end of the eighth, giving Kean a 4-3 win.

Trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Kean (3-1) got things going with a leadoff walk from junior Andy Lopez.  Sophomore Ryan Kelley followed with a hit-by-pitch and sophomore Sal Taormina successfully put both into scoring position with sacrifice bunt, setting up O'Connor.  He delivered with a double down the line, tying the game up at three-all.  After swiping third, sophomore Ryan Reitmeyer was able to put the ball in play on a drawn-in infield that was enough to send O'Connor home on the groundout, giving Kean a 4-3 lead.

For the first time this year, it was the visiting team that scratched across a run first.  In the top of the third, senior Trevor Wilkins put a run on the board with a two-out RBI single up the middle.  The Cougars evened the game right up in their half of the inning as senior Tyler Smarslok started off the frame with a double.  He would move to third with some small ball and crossed the plate off a sacrifice fly from Alvarez. 

Neumann was able to take the lead in the fifth all without a hit in the inning.  Junior Alex DiGenova got on board with a leadoff hit-by-pitch.  Small ball moved him to second and a wild pitch would move him even closer, now at third.  On an attempted squeeze play, the low pitch was blocked, but in the dirt, rolling just far enough away for DiGenova to continue on and score, giving Neumann a 2-1 lead.  They would tack on one more run in the top of the sixth with two outs and Sheneman on second base.  Going on the pitch (two strikes on the batter), AJ Koscelansky swung at a ball in the dirt that went all the way to the backstop.  Koscelansky, though striking out, was able to reach first and running all the way, Sheneman was able to just slide under the tag for a 3-1 advantage.

In all, the Cougars were able to hold Neumann to just two singles on the day as junior Mike Daley earned the win.  He allowed those two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and five walks.  Junior Casey Carothers picked up the save after allowing no runs and no hits with one inning of work in the eighth.  Senior Ted Fletcher recorded the loss.  He allowed three runs, all earned, in one and two thirds innings. 

Kean returns to action on Tuesday when they face Moravian College.