Union, N.J. (4/17/15) – Southpaw Richie Ferguson tossed nine innings of shutout ball as the Kean University baseball team rallied from an early deficit to edge Ramapo College, 5-4, Friday afternoon.
Ferguson improved to 5-0 on the season, all relief appearances, as he fanned seven in the win. He allowed one walk and scattered nine hits.
Ramapo (18-11, 7-5 NJAC) jumped out to a 4-0 first inning lead with just one hit. The Roadrunners loaded up the bases with a walk and two hit batsmen and scored the first run of the day on a bases loaded walk to Scott Peschiani. Scott Paulus was hit as he recorded an RBI for the 2-0 lead. With the bases still loaded and no outs, Ferguson entered the game and he hit the first batter he saw, pushing the lead out to 3-0. Ramapo, with those four hit batsmen in the first frame, have been awarded first base 68 times already this spring, good for second in the nation. Connor Walsh found space in right field for the first hit of the day and an RBI, for a 4-0 lead. Ferguson then settled in, and got a strikeout, infield popup and groundout to end the damage.
The score would remain that way until the fifth when #5 Kean erased the shutout with three runs. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, junior Ryan Kelley found the gap, driving in Scott Durkin and Tyler Heisch, who both reached on singles. After an intentional walk to junior Sal Taormina, rookie Matt Krupa singled in the gap to inch the Cougars closer at 4-3.
Kean then completed the rally in the seventh as it was senior Tom McGuckin's turn for a two out rally, as he singled to left, driving in Kelley and catcher Mike Kendall, who reached via a hit-by-pitch.
The Roadrunners made things interesting in the eighth as Walsh reached on a one out single and later moved into scoring position with two outs on a passed ball. He was lifted for pinch-runner Evan Ochlan who moved 90 feet away on a wild pitch. Ferguson got out of it with a groundout to end the threat.
Ramapo threated again in their final at-bat as Scott Shields led off the inning with a ground-rule double. Joe Venturino then singled to left, but a dart from leftfielder Heisch cut down Shields at the plate, to preserve the precious one run lead. With one out now, it was Kelley's turn in right, as he dove in the gap for the line-out one batter later. Ferguson nailed down the last out with a flyout to center to complete the comeback and win.
Offensively for the Cougars (25-7, 9-3 NJAC) Krupa was 3-for-4 with an RBI while Kelley was 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and a double. McGuckin provided two RBI and Heisch tallied two hits.
For the Roadrunners, Shields and Walsh were both 3-for-4.
Kean returns to action on Saturday when they host Stockton University in doubleheader action beginning at 11:30 a.m. It is Senior Day and Alumni Day with great summer-like weather predicted.