Union, N.J. (4/11/14) – Junior Andy Lopez belted two homeruns as the Kean University baseball team blanked Rutgers-Newark by the final of 6-0 Friday afternoon in NJAC action.

Lopez broke up the shutout as he led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot down the leftfield line on a 1-1 count.  The #6/7 Cougars added insurance in the eighth as sophomore Matt Meleo started off the frame with his fourth hit of the afternoon.  He would come around to score on a pinch-hit double from classmate Ryan Reitmeyer.  A single from Eric Fernandez put runners on the corners for Lopez, who then launched a three run blast to left to seal the win.

Junior Mike Daley (pictured left) picked up his fifth win of the season as he tossed a complete game, shutout.  Daley (5-0) allowed nine hits (eight singles) and two walks while striking out four in the efficient two hour and 10 minute matchup.  The win gave Kean their fourth straight conference series split of the season as the Cougars improve to 19-7 overall and 4-4 in NJAC play.

The Scarlet Raiders (9-17, 3-5 NJAC) scattered their nine hits all throughout the lineup, as Daley (pictured right) kept Newark off balance, not allowing a runner to reach third base until the ninth inning.

Meleo (pictured right) was a perfect 4-for-4 on the afternoon.  Lopez's multi-homerun game is the first for Kean since Joe O'Connor's three-homer day in 2012.

Kean remains home and will host New Jersey City University on Saturday in doubleheader action.