Kean Sweeps MSU in Thrilling
Fashion, 10-7 & 11-9
Little Falls, N.J. (4/24/10) – Junior
Ken Gregory was a combined 5-for-10 with five RBI
while senior Steve Montalbano picked up a win and
a save as Kean swept Montclair State University in thrilling
fashion 10-7 & 11-9, Saturday afternoon from Yogi Berra
Stadium.
Down 9-0 heading into the eighth inning of game two, the Cougars
(24-9, 10-4 NJAC) rallied with six runs and after holding the Red
Hawks scoreless (17-13, 8-7 NJAC) continued with five more in the
top of the ninth to take the lead and seal down the win for the
sweep.
Game One
The early going of game one belonged to Kean as the Cougars
scored seven runs in the first two innings to take an early 7-0
lead. Heading into the second frame up 1-0, KU sent 11 men to
the plate while banging out seven hits. Ryan
Gibbons got things going with an RBI single followed by an
RBI single by Dave Zavistoski. Senior
Mike Moceri lofted an RBI sacrifice fly while
sophomore Lee Cavico had an RBI single.
Sophomore Dylan Laguna knocked in two with a
single in his second at-bat of the frame to close out the
scoring. The Red Hawks made things interesting as they
recorded two in their half of the third and another three in the
fourth to close in at 7-5. With two outs in the third,
Michael Boggi and Mike Ercolano each had RBI
singles while Kevin Bond cleared the bases with two outs
in the fourth on a ball hit into center that was lost in the
afternoon sun.
The Cougars scored a single run in the seventh off a sacrifice fly
from junior Chris Carrano to go ahead 8-5, but MSU
answered with two more in the eighth as Bond had an RBI single and
Andrew Himmelfarb scored off a Cougar miscue.
Kean secured the win with two insurance runs in the top of the
ninth and as Montalbano sealed the bottom of the ninth facing just
four batters.
Reliever Brandon Bujnowski earned the win in
game one. Bujnowski (1-0) (pictured right) allowed one run
and five hits in two and two thirds inning of relief.
Montalbano earned his first save by tossing two and two thirds
innings allowing just one run earned run with four hits. He
fanned four.
Sean Hille suffered the loss for Montclair. Hille
(6-2) allowed eight runs, just two earned, in seven innings.
Game Two
Montclair State controlled most of the second game scoring in
five of the first seven innings of action, holding Kean to just two
hits in the same time period, taking a 9-0 lead.
The Kean bats came alive in top of the eighth, plating six
runs. Pinch-hitter Sean Kelly got the ball
rolling with an RBI double. After loading the bases, Moceri
lofted his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon. Gregory
provided the next big punch with a three RBI homerun to
right-center, his third of the year. Later in the inning,
Laguna provided an RBI double to close out the scoring as Kean
pulled to 9-6.
Montalbano entered the game and shut down the next three MSU
batters to send Kean into the ninth with their final chance.
Sophomore Vinny Galya started things off with a
leadoff double. Moceri put the score at 9-7 with an RBI
single. Gregory (pictured left) followed with an RBI single
of his own and junior Nick Nolan tied the game at
nine all with another RBI single. Nolan and sophomore
D.J. Breckenridge both came around to score on a
double-steal that ended with an MSU miscue.
Montalbano allowed just one hit in between striking out the side
to seal the win.
