Ewing, N.J. (4/1/12) – The Kean
University baseball split in two pitcher's duels in the New
Jersey Athletic Conference opener by falling to The College of New
Jersey, 2-1 in 10 innings in game one and edging TCNJ, 1-0 in game
two on Saturday afternoon.
The #4 Cougars are now 15-6 on the season with a 1-1 NJAC
record. TCNJ stands with a 12-9 record, as well as a 1-1 NJAC
mark.
Game One
Junior Kevin Herget (3-2) was the tough-luck
loser in game one after tossing all nine and two thirds innings
with a season-high 13 strikeouts. After seven and a half
scoreless frames, both teams traded runs off wild pitches to break
the deadlock. The Lions took the lead in the bottom of the eighth
when Scott Kelly legged out an infield single after
hitting to deep short. He stole his 20th base of the season before
advancing to third base on a wild pitch. Kelly raced home on
another wild pitch and beat the play at the plate to give the Lions
a 1-0 lead.
With two outs in the top of the ninth it was another wild pitch
with a runner on third base that enabled the Cougars to tie the
contest. Sophomore Nick Zucchero provided a
spark with a two out single. Pinch-runner Vinny
Galya then moved around the bases on three wild pitches,
mixed in with two walks to knot the game at one-all. With one
out in the 10th, Nick Cifelli walked, Jimmy
Ruzich singled and Michael Murphy walked to load the
bases. Herget picked up his 13th strikeout of the game
to record two outs, but Jacob Dewitt drilled a two-strike pitch to
left field to end the game.
The two teams combined for 10 singles in the contest.
Game Two
The nightcap proved to be very similar to game one as Kean edged
TCNJ, 1-0. For the Cougars, senior Chris
Cirlincione (pictured left) tossed a complete game shutout
to improve to 4-0. TCNJ's Eric Lewis and Cirlincione
tossed for a combined 225 pitches, 153 of them were for
strikes.
Kean scratched across the lone run of the game in the fourth as
sophomore Shane Alvarez started off the frame with
a single. He would move to second on a groundout and third on
a flyout before senior Dylan Laguna (pictured
right) legged out an infield single to push across what would be
the winning run.
Senior Eddie Jennings and sophomore
Tyler Smarslok both recorded two hits apiece in
the nightcap, only two of three players from both teams to record
multiple hits on the day.
Cirlincione allowed just five hits with no walks and five
strikeouts.
Kean returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to the
College of Staten Island for a non-conference game.
