Union, N.J. (4/2/15) – Junior Michael Kendall tallied a two RBI pinch hit while classmate Richie Ferguson provided four relief innings of shutout ball as the Kean University baseball team used a breakout seventh inning to down William Paterson, 9-2.
Ferguson improved to 3-0 after coming into the game down 2-1. With a runner on in the sixth, Ferguson would work around a single with two strikeouts (of his five total) and a groundout to get out of the jam.
He was able to record a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh and the Cougars (18-4, 3-0 NJAC) responded with a five spot to take the lead. Rookie Matt Krupa started off the inning with a single and moved into scoring position after Ryan Kelley was hit by a pitch. Junior Ryan Reitmeyer moved them 90 feet closer with a sacrifice and Kendall delivered with a pinch-hit single to center on the second pitch he saw to give Kean the lead for good. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, sophomore Tyler Heisch widened the gap with a two RBI soft liner to right. Krupa, batting for the second time in the inning, rounded out the RBIs with a bases loaded walk.
#5 Kean added insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Matt Meleo and Tom McGuckin registered RBI singles and Heisch added an RBI double.
The Cougars were the first to score with a single run in the third. Reitmeyer started off the inning with a double down the line and he would score on a Chris Amato groundout. William Paterson (12-5, 0-3 NJAC) was able to take the lead in the top of the fourth without the benefit of a hit. The Pioneers took advantage of two walks sandwiched around a strikeout. Both runners moved up on a balk and KC Abel tied things up with an RBI groundout. With two outs, Anthony Hoegland gave WP the lead, scoring on the second balk of the inning.
Offensively, Reitmeyer was 3-for-3 with two runs score and a double while Heisch was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double.
For the Pioneers, Hoagland finished with two hits.
Both teams will be back at it tomorrow, Friday, April 3rd in Wayne, N.J. at 1 p.m.