Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Ewing, NJ – The College of New Jersey dropped both ends of doubleheader to Kean University at George Ackerman Park on Saturday. Both games went down to the wire, but the Lions came out on the short end losing the first game 9-7, and game two by the score of 5-4.
The Lions (20-16-1, 11-7) fell to fourth place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and will now travel to William Paterson University to play the first round of the post-season tournament. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
Eleventh-ranked Kean (32-7, 15-3) clinched their third consecutive conference title and fourth in the last five years. Their first-place finish earns the Cougars the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the NJAC tournament.
Game One – Kean 9, TCNJ 7
Kean erased a 4-0 deficit with nine runs in the sixth inning en route to a 9-7 victory over TCNJ. The Cougars needed just one victory to clinch the regular season title and took care of business in the opening contest.
The Lions jumped out to an early 2-0 lead scoring their first run on a pair of doubles by Ryan Anzalone (Veron, NJ/Vernon Township) and Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy). Anthony Palmiotto (Manchester, NJ/Manchester Township) ripped a ground ball that caromed off Kean first baseman Lee Cavico (North Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) allowing Galeotafiore to score from second.
Senior Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayerville) led off the third by hitting a towering solo blast to right-center field to make a 3-0 game. It was Toth's eighth home run of the season and 38th run batted in.
The Lions increased their lead to 4-0 in the fourth off the speedy legs of Palmiotto. The sophomore center fielder reached base on an error, advanced to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit to center field by Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester). Palmiotto had two hits and reached base four times in the first game.
Sophomore right-hander Connor Henderson (Monmouth Jct., NJ/South Brunswick) was cruising along throwing five shutout innings, but things took a sharp turn for the worst in the sixth. The Cougar offense exploded for nine runs on six hits, including a three-run home run from Dylan Laguna (Edison, NJ/Edison). Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen), D.J. Breckenridge (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) and Ryan Gibbons (Glen Ridge,NJ/Glen Ridge) all had run-scoring singles for Kean in the inning. Laguna finished the game with three hits and scored twice.
TCNJ closed the gap with two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth. Run-scoring singles from Palmiotto in the seventh and Andrew Priece (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) in the eighth made it a 9-7 game, but Cougar reliever Brandon Aich (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) held off a Lion scare in the ninth to clinch the division. Freshman Ryan Samorsky (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) earned the mound decision for raising his season record to 6-1. Henderson suffered his first loss and fell to 5-1.
Tussey collected three hits and an RBI while James Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) notched a pair of hits. Lion junior A.J. Adamcyzk (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) threw three and two-thirds inning of strong relief surrendering two hits and two unearned runs while striking out four.
Game Two – Kean 5, TCNJ 4
After leading for the better part of game one, the Lions played from behind throughout game two. Kean jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but the Lions responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half. Esperon doubled to left-center and came around to score later in the inning off of a Kean miscue.
The Cougars held a 4-1 lead entering the fifth when Nick Ramagli (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) hit a bloop single to left. Mike Moceri (Yardville, NJ/Steinert), who had two hits in game one, followed with a single to left field breaking Kean's single-season hit record. It was Moceri's 73rd hit of the season. After Laguna advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Walker laid down a safety squeeze to push the Cougar lead to 5-1.
The TCNJ bats were held in check until the seventh inning. Tussey delivered a two-out single and Ruzich walked. Toth line a base hit to right field to score Tussey. Mazzacarro's ensuing ground ball ate up the Kean third baseman allowing Ruzich to score making it a 5-3 game.
In the eighth, Priece was hit by a pitch and Galeotafiore doubled down the third baseline to put runners at second and third. Palmiotto grounded out to second enabling Priece to score making it 5-4. Cougar right-hander Pedro Rivera (Elizabeth, NJ/Union Catholic) came on in relief to pitch to Tussey, who ripped a hard ground ball, but right at the shortstop to end the inning.
The Lions threatened with runners in the ninth, but Rivera struck out the final two batters he faced to complete the sweep. Kean senior Colin Feneis (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) raised his record to 4-1 going six strong innings, giving up one run on six hits, walking one and striking out four. Rivera earned his first save of the season.
Sean Stewart (Howell, NJ/Freehold Township) pitched seven solid innings giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits and striking out two. Lefthander Pat Johnson (Hamilton Square, NJ/Steinert) and sophomore Joe Marchitelli (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) each pitched a perfect inning of relief. Tussey and Toth contributed two hits in the loss.
