WPU Rallies Past Kean, 6-5
Wayne, N.J. (4/11/08) - John Elia (Emerson,
N.J.) hit a two-out, bases loaded double to complete a William
Paterson rally and give the Pioneers a 6-5 win over Kean Friday
afternoon.
Leading 5-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, Kean (22-8, 6-4 NJAC)
reliever Drew Campbell (Hillsborough, N.J.)
induced the first two Pioneer hitters into groundouts, but junior
Will Courter (Roseland, N.J.) singled through the right
side to keep things going. Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle
River, N.J.) then doubled to left-center plating Courter,
making it a 5-3 game. Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, N.J.)
then drew a walk and Vince Joyce (Franklin, N.J.) singled
up the middle to fill the bases. Elia then roped his walk-off
double, driving in all three runners and giving the Pioneers the
come-from-behind win.
Mike Manganiello (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) led
Kean with a pair of solo home runs, posting a 2-for-4 day.
Five other Cougars each had two hits to pace the Kean offense.
Guadango was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and one RBI for WPU
(17-9, 7-2 NJAC), while Courter was 3-for-5.
William Paterson freshman Paul Albanese (Palisades Park,
N.J.) picked up the win in relief (1-1), allowing just one hit
in 1.0 inning of work. Chris Mongelli (Riverdale,
N.J.) threw the first 8.0 innings for the Pioneers, giving up
11 hits and five runs. Andy Cupido (South Plainfield,
N.J.) (pictured left) started on the hill for Kean (6.0
innings, seven hits, two runs, five walks, two strikeouts), and
Campbell suffered the loss (4-2) after allowing six hits and four
earned runs in 2.2 innings.
The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead during the first inning, as Perrone
hit an RBI single up the middle that scored senior Dan Limone
(Teaneck, N.J.).
The Cougars responded, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth.
Eric Ammirata (Hamilton, N.J.) led off with a
single up the middle, advanced on a Bryan Burke
(Lindenhurst, N.J.) single and was brought home on an RBI
groundout by senior Derek Gianakas (Edison, N.J.)
(pictured right). Burke then scored when
sophomore Mike Moceri (Yardville, N.J.) singled
through the left side.
Kean's lead grew by another run in the fifth inning when
Manganiello blasted his first round-tripper of the day, a shot to
left field that gave the Cougars a 3-1 edge.
The seventh inning saw another Manganiello homerun for the
Cougars, while the Pioneers drew in a run from a Perrone sacrifice
fly that scored Limone, making it a 4-2 Kean lead. The
Cougars tacked on a single run in the top of the eighth when a
failed rundown play allowed Gianakas to scamper home from third.
Kean will take on Ramapo College in doubleheader fashion on
Saturday, April 12th beginning at noon at Jim Hynes
Stadium.
