Moosic, Pa. (5/19/13) – The Kean
University baseball team made it three in a row and six out of the
last seven as they claimed the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional with a
6-1 win over Keystone College on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars (38-11) will face Webster University (36-10) in the
final matchup of day one in Wisconsin (Friday, May 24th) with
first-pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m. local time. Kean is no
stranger to Webster University as the two matched up in the series
last year with Webster edging Kean in the ninth inning by the final
of 8-7.
In today's action, sophomore Charles
Thielmann proved to be the workhorse as he got the
start on the mound with just two days rest. Coming off a
complete game win on Thursday over Alvernia University, Thielmann
was up for the challenge again today and battled through with
another complete game win, his 10th win of the
season. With that win, Thielmann tied the single-season win
mark at Kean. In today's action, Thielmann (10-2) scattered
seven hits, with one run coming in the ninth. He also fanned
five and walked just two. For his efforts, Thielmann was
named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
The Cougars scratched across their first runs of the day in the
fifth as senior Nick
Ramagli hustled to first with a bunt single, scoring
junior Tyler
Smarslok who reached via his 19th
hit-by-pitch this season. Later in the inning, freshman
Ryan
Kelley made it 2-0 with an RBI single to left.
Kean tacked on two more in the sixth as junior Joe
O'Connor worked a bases-loaded walk followed by a
sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Salvatore
Taormina.
In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Andy
Lopez found a hole in the infield for a leadoff
single. Ramagli then launched his third homerun of the
season, a two run blast to left, to push the lead out to 6-0.
Keystone (37-10) erased the shutout with three straight singles
to start off the ninth. But Thielmann was able to work out of
it with a double-play (Kean's fourth of the day) and a flyout to
seal the win.
Lopez was 3-for-3 with a double, while Smarslok was 2-for-3 with
two runs scored. Ramagli finished with three RBI and two runs
scored.
For their efforts in the tournament, Lopez, O'Connor and Ramagli
were all named to the All-Tournament team.
