Grande Chute, Wis. (5/27/11) – The Kean University baseball team dropped a 9-4 decision to west coast rival Chapman University in the opening game of the NCAA Division III National Baseball Championship held at Fox Cities Stadium.

With the loss the Cougars (42-10) fall into the elimination bracket and will face either Salisbury University or Marietta College at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday morning.

It was a see-saw battle in the early going as Chapman (34-11) struck first with a single run in the top of the first as infielder Tyler Hadzinsky singled with two outs.  He would go on to swipe second and third but the Panthers followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases.  Hadzinsky scored the game's first run on a balk.

Kean got right back in the same inning as junior Lee Cavico struck with two outs with a solo shot to left field, his ninth of the year.

The Panthers went ahead with a single run in the second as first baseman Mark Saatzer hit a two-out RBI single.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the third as Kean tied things up again, this time on a double steal as sophomore Nick Ramagli crossed the plate after reaching on a leadoff Panther miscue.

Kean took their only lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth as catcher Eddie Jennings got things going with a one-out double.  Junior Dylan Laguna followed that with an RBI single for a 3-2 lead.

Chapman then took the lead for good in the sixth as they plated three runs with two hits aided by a walk and hit batsman.

Junior Mike Russo suffered the loss for Kean.  Russo (10-2) allowed six runs and six hits while walking five and fanning four.  Reliever Ben Levitt picked up the win for Chapman.  Levitt tossed three and two thirds innings allowing two runs and six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. 

Offensively Cavico was 2-for-3 with a double, homerun and two RBI with a runs scored while senior Chris Carrano was 2-for-4.