Augustine Complete Game Advances Kean In World
Series Play; Defeat Chapman, 3-1
Grand Chute, Wis. (5/26/07) - After a two-hour
rain delay pushed the start of Kean's second game to 10:30 p.m.,
the Cougars got things started and advanced in the winner's bracket
edging Chapman, 3-1 early Sunday morning.
Joe Augustine (Highland Park, N.J.) earned the
win for Kean, as he allowed one earned run on six hits with 11
strikeouts en route to his ninth victory and sixth complete game of
the season. "Augustine did a fantastic job to beat us today.
We were able to do little against him. We got beat by a good team
and a fantastic pitcher," said Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk.
The Cougars struck first in the contest, as Maikel De La
Rosa (Newark, N.J.) took a pitch up the middle in the
first at-bat of the game for a single and advanced to second on a
sacrifice bunt by junior Eric Ammirata (Hamilton,
N.J.). After swiping third base, De La Rosa made it 1-0
when Dan Mattonelli (Hamilton, N.J.) brought him
home with a single to leftfield.
Chapman responded with its lone run of the contest and tied the
game at 1-1 in the fourth, as Tyler Dean scored from third on a
sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Pearson.
Kean broke the tie in the seventh as Derek Gianakas
(Edison, N.J.) lined a gapper to right-center field. First
basemen Aaron Richard (Plainfield, N.J.) followed
with the game-winning hit, as his chopper up the middle snuck under
Champman second basemen Kyle Redding's glove and into center field
to plate Gianakas and give the Cougars the 2-1 lead. The
Cougars added an insurance run in the eighth, as Ryan Clark
(Livingston, N.J.) opened the inning with a walk. Clark
moved to second on a passed ball and after Kevin O'Neill's
(Union, N.J.) bunt single moved him to third, Chapman
turned to its top pitcher out of the bullpen in Kurt Yacko. Yacko
struck out the first hitter he faced, but Kean managed to make the
score 3-1 without a batter putting the ball into play. Chapman made
a play on O'Neill as he successfully stole second base, prompting
Clark to race for home. The throw beat Clark to the plate, but he
was safe after Pearson was unable to hang onto the ball.
With the win Kean will face off against the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. local time on Sunday.
