Ioviero Collects 350th Win in Kean
Rally Over Newark, 8-6
Newark, N.J. (4/24/09) - A two-run double by
Kean freshman rightfielder Dylan Laguna (Edison,
N.J.) keyed a five-run seventh inning which subdued
Rutgers-Newark, 8-6, at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
Cougar head coach Neil Ioviero posted his 350th
(350-143-2) career win - all at Kean - as Kean (30-7, 13-3 NJAC)
extended its school-record streak of 30-win seasons to four with
the win. The Cougars only need to split their NJAC
doubleheader at The College of New Jersey tomorrow to seize the top
seed in the upcoming six-team conference championship
tournament. Rutgers-Newark (19-14, 7-9 NJAC) now must sweep
Ramapo in Mahwah in their final doubleheader tomorrow. Both
twinbills begin at noon.
The Cougars got four singles and took advantage of two Raider
errors in the top of the seventh to erase a 3-2 deficit.
Laguna, who finished 2-for-3, also singled home Kean's first run
to start a two-run rally in the third which knotted the score.
Rutgers-Newark senior catcher Gerard Russomanno (Woodland
Park, N.J.) hammered a two-run homer down the left field line
in the second to give the Raiders the early lead. After Kean
tied it up in the top of the third, freshman leftfielder Chris
Ballester (Freehold, N.J.) led off the bottom of the third
with a home run over the left field wall. The lead held up
until the seventh.
A two-run single in the seventh by sophomore shortstop Patrick
Reitemeyer (Kearny, N.J.), who finished three for five,
trimmed the Kean lead to 7-5 before singles by junior third baseman
Joe Furnaguera (Springfield, N.J.) and Russomanno in the
eighth brought the Raiders to within a run.
A leadoff single by freshman first baseman Lee Cavico
(North Brunswick, N.J.) and a double from sophomore
designated hitter Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen,
N.J.) (pictured left) plated an insurance run in the top
of the ninth.
Junior righthander Joe Bartlinski (South Amboy,
N.J.) improved to 6-2 by striking out 10 and walking two
against nine hits in seven full innings of work. Senior Drew
Campbell (Hillsborough, N.J.) got the save, giving up one run on
four hits while striking out three and walking one in two full
innings. He gave up two singles in the ninth, but struck out
the other three batters to end the night.
Sophomore lefthander Billy Cerruti (Oceanport, N.J.)
suffered the loss, giving up seven runs while striking out two and
walking four in six-plus innings of work.
Junior Mike Moceri (Yardville, N.J.) was
2-for-4 with two runs scored while junior Mike Diaz
(Westfield, N.J.) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
