Punta Gorda, Fla. (3/4/23) – The Kean University baseball team edged Heidelberg University by the final of 11-10 on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Heidelberg took advantage of two first inning errors for Kean (8-2) and jumped out to a 3-0 lead.  The Cougars got one back in the bottom of the same inning with two singles and a walk to load the bases.  Gianni Marano then lofted a sac fly for Kean's first run of the day.

HU (2-1) added three more in the top of the third with three singles and a Kean miscue.  Heidelberg took their biggest lead of the day with one more in the top of the fourth with a leadoff double from Kyle Krummen followed by a single off the bat of Braeden Limke.

The Cougars cut the deficit in half with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Caleb Rodriguez and Kyle Adorno each recorded RBI in the frame.

Kean took the lead, a lead they would not relinquish, with seven runs in their half of the sixth.  Dylan Beyer worked a bases loaded walk and Brett Hilsheimer added two more with a single.  Nick Houghton kept things going with a two RBI single later in the inning and Phil Marcantonio added one more with an RBI single of his own.

Heidelberg kept chipping away and after adding a single run in the seventh closed the deficit to just one with a two run homer from Andrew Cook in the eighth.  Marano entered the game and got out of further trouble and earned his first save of the year closing out the ninth with two flyouts and a strikeout sandwiched around a walk.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

Houghton led the team with a 3-for-5 day, two RBI and two runs scored while also earning the win on the mound.  Beyer, HIlsheimer and Marano all had two runs scored with Marano adding three walks and an RBI. 

Cook led Heidelberg with four RBI on the day.

UP NEXT: 

Kean faces #5 Baldwin Wallace University on Sunday at noon.