Union, N.J. (5/1/23) – The Kean University baseball team split with Rowan University in the regular season finale for both, winning the opener, 11-4 and falling in the nightcap, 4-0.
With today's outcomes, the Profs (28-11, 13-5 NJAC) have clinched the top seed in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament, slated to begin on Thursday. The Cougars (23-15-1, 12-5-1 NJAC) have solidified the second seed and will also host a first round tournament game on Thursday.
The rest of the field is scheduled to be announced tomorrow evening, pending the completion of makeup games tomorrow.
Game One – Kean 11, Rowan 4
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The teams kept going run for run in the first three innings. Phil Marcantonio drove in the game's first run with an RBI single in the first for a 1-0 lead. Rowan answered right back with a Chris Curcio RBI single in the top of the second.
The Cougars went up 3-1 with a two RBI double from Nick Houghton in the bottom of the second and the Profs evened things up in the top of the third with a two RBI single from Phil Sedalis.
The Profs took their first lead of the day in the sixth as Dylan Maria scored on a passed ball.
Kean took the lead back in the seventh and never relinquished it again as Christian Pellone lofted a two run homer, Kyle Adorno registered an RBI single and Justin Teixeira tallied an RBI with a fielder's choice for a 7-4 lead.
The Cougars added insurance in the eighth as Marcantonio collected two RBI with a single, Gianni Marano grounded out for an RBI and Josh Jackson doubled home Marcantonio (11-4).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Marcantonio was 5-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Adorno was 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored and Jackson, Pellone and Houghton all had two hits as the Cougars recorded 15 total in the opener.
Collin Kiernan earned the win with a complete game effort. He allowed three earned runs with eight hits and two walks. He struck out three.
Game Two – Rowan 4, Kean 0
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Rowan scratched across a single run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Anthony Schooley. Tyler Cannon drove in two with a double in the fifth and Patrick Defeciani rounded out the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth for all of the game's runs.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Deficiani was 3-for-4 for the Profs. Mike Shannon (4-1) earned the complete game win allowing six hits, three doubles, one walk and four strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
Kean will host the fifth seed in the first round of the NJAC Tournament on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
