Glassboro, N.J. (4/29/16) – The Kean University baseball team clinched first place and the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season title by defeating Rowan University by the final of 9-5 on Friday afternoon.
The Cougars improved to 13-3 in NJAC play with two games left to go in the conference regular season. The next closest team stands with a 10-6 mark as Ramapo, Rowan, The College of New Jersey and Montclair State University are all tied with that record.
Southpaw Richie Ferguson (6-3) picked up the win after tossing eight and a third innings. Rookie Kyle Gaeb picked up the final two outs to close out the contest.
Kean (24-12) took the lead in their first at-bat and held it throughout in today's matchup. In the first inning the Cougars loaded the bases on a single from Shayne Fontana, a hit-by-pitch to Ryan Kelley and a walk to Sal Taormina. With two outs, sophomore Matt Krupa lined a single up the middle for a 2-0 lead. The Profs (22-15) got one back in the bottom of the second with an RBI groundout.
The Cougars then used timely hitting to add to their advantage. RBI doubles from Krupa and Ryan Reitmeyer in the fourth made the score 4-1 and an RBI double from Nik Fraim and a wild pitch gave Kean a 6-1 lead after six frames.
Taormina launched his first homerun, a two run blast, in the seventh inning pushing the lead out to 8-1 and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Andy Lopez stretched the lead to 9-1 in the top of the eighth.
Rowan rallied late with a single run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Matt Jolly and three more in the ninth with a bases loaded walk, RBI fielder's choice and a wild pitch, but Gaeb was able to get a strikeout and lineout to end the threat.
Offensively Krupa was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored and Reitmeyer, Kelley and Chris Amato each finished with two hits in the win.
The Cougars will face Rutgers-Camden in the NJAC regular season finale on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11:30 a.m. Kean will honor 10 seniors prior to the start of the contest.