Union, N.J. (5/2/15) – The Kean University baseball team belted out 15 hits on their way to advancing to the NJAC Championship game by defeating the College of New Jersey, 8-6 on Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars (31-10) will face Rutgers-Camden who edged Ramapo College, 2-1 in the opener on Saturday and powered past The College of New Jersey, 7-3 in the nightcap. The championship game is slated for noon on Sunday. Should Rutgers-Camden beat Kean in the matchup a winner-take-all contest would follow shortly after.
TCNJ (18-17) took the lead with single runs in the second and third. The Lions took advantage of a leadoff walk to Josh Limon in the second and small ball (a bunt and groundball) moved him 90 feet away with two outs. Ben Varone's RBI single to left drove him home for a 1-0 lead. In the third with the bases loaded and one out, Mike Murray used an RBI fielder's choice to push the lead to 2-0.
In their next at-bat, Kean powered through with a four spot and took a lead they would not relinquish. Junior Ryan Kelley got things started with a leadoff walk. After swiping second he scampered home on an RBI double from fellow junior Sal Taormina. A flyout in foul territory moved Taormina to third and junior Ryan Reitmeyer executed a perfect squeeze as Taormina tied the game up at two-all and Reitmeyer reached first safely. With two outs, junior James Lyczkowski found room in right with a single and heads up running put Reitmeyer at third. Singles through the holes from juniors Chris Amato and Matt Meleo drove in two more to make it 4-2.
Kean tacked on three more in the sixth with an RBI bunt single from Tyler Heisch and a two RBI single to right from Taormina. The Cougars made it 8-2 with an RBI single from Lyczkowski in the seventh.
Trailing 8-3 in their last at-bat, the Lions rallied for what turned out to be three runs. A single from Varone and a double from John Rizzi put runners in scoring position with no outs. Mark Mari lined a single up the middle (8-4) and Anthony Cocuzza followed with a single through the leftside to inch closer at 8-5. A pop up was recorded for the first out of the inning, but Garen Turner followed with a single to right to load the bases.
Amato, who earned the save in last night's thrilling 5-4 win over Ramapo, was again summoned from shortstop to try and nail down the win. TCNJ took advantage of a fielding miscue and kept the inning alive by scoring another run and still loading the bases. Amato then got a pop up and a fly out to end the threat and secure the win.
Taormina finished with three RBI while Meleo was 3-for-5 with a double. Taormina, rookie Matt Krupa, Reitmeyer, Lyczkowski and Amato all had two hits on the day. In fact, 8-of-9 starters recorded a hit on the afternoon.
On the mound, reliever Richie Ferguson improved his record to 7-0 as he tossed six and a third innings allowing four runs, three earned with four strikeouts and one walk. Ferguson entered in the third and carried Kean until the ninth.
For the Lions, Cocuzza was 2-for-3 with two RBI.