Newark, NJ…The College on New Jersey needed an extra game on Monday, but ultimately triumphed over Kean University 8-7 to collect their third straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship. Kean forced the if necessary contest after posting a 3-1 win in the first game on Monday, but the Lions came out on top after tying the game in the bottom of the eight inning and collecting the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a bases loaded walk to end the game.

The Lions become the NJAC’s third team to earn three straight conference titles after William Paterson University achieved the feat in 1995, 1996 and 1997 after Montclair State University first achieved the three-peat in 1974, 1975, and 1976.

With the 2007 NJAC championship, the Lions earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships and bring a 32-9 record into the NCAA’s, while Kean University drops to 34-8 and most hope now for an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament when bids are announced on May 14.

Game # 1 Kean 3-1 TCNJ
Top seeded Kean University forced an 11th and final game in the 2007 NJAC playoffs after handing the Lions of The College of New Jersey a 3-1 setback en route to the NJAC championships run. Kean improved to 34-7 overall, while TCNJ fell to 31-9 and watched their 14-game win streak snapped in the process.

TCNJ scored first on an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning only to watch the Cougars tie the action in the bottom half of the inning. Kean broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when junior Derek Gianakas (Edison, NJ/Edison) drove in junior Eric Ammirata (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West), who had reached on a walk. Kean tacked on an additional run in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 3-1 win.

Kean’s right handed junior pitcher Andrew Cupido (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) posted the complete game win to improve to 3-2 on the year after holding the Lions to a single unearned run off four hits. Cupido fanned seven Lions and snapped TCNJ’s 14-game win streak in the process.

TCNJ’s junior Brad Kittle (Millville, NJ/Millville) took the loss for the Lions and is now 2-3 after 6.2 innings with a pair of earned runs with five strikeouts and six hits on the game. Senior Dave Waseleski (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) made his 17th appearance of the season and worked 1.1 innings with an earned run off one hit with three strikeouts.

Offensively for the Lions, junior short stop Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) was the only TCNJ player to collect two hits after a 2-4 effort with his 23rd stolen base of the season on his 23rd try. Senior second baseman Andrew Cosgrove (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) drew two walks and was 1-2 with a double.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
TCNJ 8-7 Kean

After Kean held a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, TCNJ managed to score a run on an error at short before senior first baseman Blake Bullis (Delran, NJ/Delran) added a two run home run to center field to tie the score at 7-7.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, TCNJ’s junior Bill Kropp (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) reached on an error at short before sophomore Vince Mazzaccaro (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) had an infield single to move Mazzaccaro over to second base before senior Tyler Hall (Stockton, NJ/Immaculata) sacrificed the runners over before sophomore pitcher Colin Feneis (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) intentionally walked junior Dave Mebs (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) to load the bases. Senior Dan Czepiga (Lawrenceville, NJ/Notre Dame) lined out to Feneis for the second out before junior short stop Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) came up with the game-winning RBI on a bases loaded walk to end the game at 8-7.

TCNJ’s senior Brian Kraus (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) started the match-up for the Lions and worked three innings with two earned runs off just one hit before senior reliever Blake Ortiz (Swedesboro, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) worked 2.1 innings with a pair of earned runs before sophomore Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) came in to collect the win and is now 2-0. Gertie worked 3.2 innings with no runs and no hits with a strikeout.

Kean’s senior Joseph Augustine (Highland Park, NJ/Highland Park) worked 4.2 innings with four earned runs off nine hits with three strikeouts before sophomore Joe Rizzo (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) came in and worked three innings with three unearned runs and a pair of walks. Feneis would take the loss to drops to 4-1 after an unearned run with two hits and a pair of walks.

Offensively, Bullis went 2-5 with three RBI’s while picking up his 234th career hit, just one shy of TCNJ’s career hit record of 235 set in 1988 by CJ Rockhill. Andrew Cosgrove added a pair of RBI’s and was 2-5 while Czepiga added a 3-6 effort with two runs scored.

For Kean, junior Ryan Clark (Livingston, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) was 1-3 with a run scored after adding a two run homerun in the top of the sixth inning to give Kean a 7-4 lead. He netted three RBI’s in the game for the Cougars.