Union, N.J. (4/4/14) – Senior Nick Zucchero launched a bases-loaded, two RBI double to deep center in the bottom of the 12th to edge Montclair State University by the final of 4-3 on a cold, damp Friday afternoon.
How do you follow up a tight pitchers' duel and walk-off win? With another, as #3/5 Kean (17-5, 2-2 NJAC) was able to even the series with MSU (6-9, 1-1 NJAC) a day after the Red Hawks edged the Cougars with a ninth inning walk-off win on Thursday.
In the pivotal 12th trailing by one, senior Tyler Smarslok led off the frame with a single in the hole on the first pitch he saw. Sophomore Chris Amato, who entered in the ninth, then did a great job of working reliever John Silvestri, fouling off six total pitches. Amato then reached as he was hit with pitch number eight, putting runners at first and second. Senior Andy Lopez did his job as he laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners into scoring position. Pinch-hitter Brock Podgurski entered the game, but he didn't see a pitch he would be able to hit as the Red Hawks elected to load the bases with four straight pitches on the intentional pass. That set up Zucchero, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 10th. He then lined the first pitch he saw deep to center, sending Smarslok across as the tying run and Amato as the winning run.
Montclair State broke the two-all deadlock in the top of the 12th as sophomore Keith Murphy lined a one out triple down the rightfield line. He came around to score on a sacrifice fly from senior Connor Abreu to take a 3-2 lead.
The Cougars set themselves up for the walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth as Kean loaded the bases with no outs as sophomore Sal Taormina and rookie pinch-hitter Tyler Heisch collected singles while senior Joe O'Connor reached on a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by the infield. Silvestri entered the game at that point and shut down the rally with two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat and force extras.
Kean picked up an early 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third frames. Smarslok got things going with a double in his first at-bat and came around to score on an RBI groundout from Lopez. In the third it was sophomore Matt Meleo reaching on a leadoff single as he later came around to score on an RBI groundout from sophomore Ryan Reitmeyer.
MSU evened things up in their half of the seventh, taking advantage of two Kean miscues.
Not to be lost in today's action was the excellent starting pitching as junior Charles Thielmann and senior Dylan Papa each earned no-decisions. Thielmann tossed 10 innings allowing just four hits and no earned runs. He struck out eight and walked one. Papa pitched eight plus innings allowing two earned runs and eight hits, walking no one and fanning two.
Reliever Vinny Zanfordino picked up his second win of the year. Zanfordino (2-0) allowed one run and one hit with no walks and one strikeout in two innings.
Kean will travel to the College of New Jersey on Saturday for a twinbill starting at 11:30 a.m.