La Plume, PA – Keystone College opened their quest for a seventh-straight Colonial States Athletic Conference baseball championship with a 10-1 victory over Neumann University in a first round playoff game on Thursday afternoon at Christy Mathewson Field.  The #2 Giants improve to 29-12 on the spring and will play #4 Immaculata University in a winners' bracket game on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Marywood University.   
 
Keystone took control of the game in the first inning, sending all nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame and using five hits to open up a 6-0 lead.  Kevin Luciano (Everett, MA/Cambridge Rindge and Latin School) singled home Julian Lanfranco (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) before Gaston Rojas (Carmel, NY/Carmel) scored on an RBI double by Eduardo Familia (Bronx, NY/Collegio Utesianode Estudios Integrados).  Louis Reyes (Port St. Lucie, FL/Treasure Coast) followed with an RBI single through the right side before Nate Ross (Albuquerque, NM/La Cueva) ripped a two-run triple to the gap in right-center.  Ross then scored the Giants' sixth run of the contest by coming home on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Angelucci (Commack, NY/Commack).
 
Neumann (18-14-1) loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, but Keystone starting pitcher Felix Baez (San Juan, PR/Colegio Presbiteriano) got a groundball to end the inning with a fielder's choice.  The Giants then added on to their lead in the home half of the frame as Herceg doubled home Lanfranco before coming home on a Luciano single through the right side to give the hosts an 8-0 lead.
 
Jarad Carney put the Knights on the board with a solo home run to left field in the visitor's fifth, but Keystone answered with a pair of runs in bottom of the inning to stake out a 10-1 advantage.  Angelucci scored on a fielding error by the Knights before Herceg doubled home Lanfranco with the host's 10^th run of the game to wrap up what would prove to be the final score.
 
Baez, a day removed from being named the CSAC Pitcher of the Year, improved to 5-0 after scattering three hits and one run while striking out five batters in six innings of work.  Dan Maguire (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township) closed out the win by allowing just one hit in the final three innings to go along with one strikeout.     
 
Luciano went 4-5 at the plate with two RBIs, Herceg collected three hits and a pair of RBIs, while Ross drove in a pair of runs on two hits.  Lanfranco added two hits and scored three runs for the Giants, who outhit Neumann by a 17-4 margin on the day.
 
Neumann starter Kristian DeLuzio (4-4) was charged with the loss after allowing six runs on five hits in the first inning while the Knights would go on to use a total of six pitchers on the day and had their four hits come from four different players.
 
Keystone will take on #4 Immaculata, who defeated #1 Marywood 4-3 in Thursday's other first round game, at 10:30 a.m. at Marywood.  The winner of the contest between the Giants and Mighty Macs will earn a berth in Saturday's championship round while Marywood and Neumann will play an elimination game at Keystone starting at 10:30 a.m. in La Plume.