Baseball Bests Rowan, 3-1, in NJAC
Tournament
Union, N.J. (4/28/09) - Seniors Pedro Rivera
(Elizabeth, N.J.) and Brandon Aich (Sayreville,
N.J.) combined to allow just one run as #1 Kean University
defeated #6 Rowan University, 3-1, Tuesday afternoon in the opening
round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament.
Rivera (4-0) tossed eight plus innings allowing just one run and
five hits. He walked five and fanned six. Aich picked
up his 10th save of the season after working out of
trouble in the ninth. Aich (pictured right) entered the game
with no outs and runners at first and second. Aich went on to
strike out the first two batters he faced and induced a fly ball to
end the threat and the game.
Kean (33-7) got all the runs they would need in the bottom of
the fourth. Sophomore Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen,
N.J.) got things started with a one out ground-rule
double. After a ground out and back-to-back walks to load the
bases, junior Dave Zavistoski (Edison, N.J.)
lofted an RBI single to left to bring across the first run of the
game. Freshman Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock,
N.J.) then reached on an RBI bunt single to put the score
at 2-0.
The Profs (20-14-1) struck for one in the top of the
seventh. Senior John McMullin (Woodbury, N.J.) led
off the inning with a single. After stealing second, senior
Tom Reindel (Flemington, N.J.) hit a single of his own to
put runners at the corners. Sophomore Brad Woodend
(Medford, N.J.) then pushed across what would be the Profs
only run with an RBI fielder's choice.
The Cougars tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the same
inning as Mike Moceri (Yardville, N.J.) (pictured
left) led off the inning with a double. That double ties the
KU single-season record at 21. Later in the inning with two
outs, freshman Lee Cavico (North Brunswick, N.J.)
hit a line drive into right-center for an RBI.
Junior southpaw Mark Porter (Cinnaminson, N.J.)
suffered the loss for Rowan. Porter (1-2) allowed three runs
and eight hits in the complete game effort.
Kean will face #3 William Paterson University, who fell by the
final of 23-13, on Thursday, April 30th while Rowan will
head to take on #5 Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J. also at 3:30 p.m.
