Baseball

Augustine Cruises To 1st Round NJAC Win As Kean Defeats Stockton, 6-1 

UNION, N.J. (5/3/07) - Senior Joe Augustine (Highland Park, N.J.) tossed a complete game to earn his seventh win of the season as Kean University, the number one seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament, defeated sixth seeded Richard Stockton College, 6-1, Thursday afternoon at Jim Hynes Stadium.

The Cougars (31-6) advance to take on fourth seeded Ramapo College on Saturday, May 5^th at 2 p.m. at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J.  Third seeded Montclair State defeated Ramapo College, 7-1.  Richard Stockton (21-13) will now face fifth seeded Rowan University on Saturday at 10 a.m.  Rowan fell to second seeded The College of New Jersey, 6-1.

Kean scored their first run of the afternoon in the bottom of the first and led from that point on.  With one out and runners on second and third, junior Derek Gianakas (Edison, N.J.) lofted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Maikel De La Rosa (Newark, N.J.) who reached on a leadoff walk.  The Cougars would go on to score a single run in the second as junior Ryan Clark (Livingston, N.J.) laid down a squeeze bunt to score senior Perry Schatzow (Ocean Twp., N.J.) who reached on a leadoff error to give Kean a 2-0 advantage.

The pitchers then took charge for the next four innings as only five combined hits were made, with no runner reaching past second base.

The Cougars then added insurance in the bottom of the seventh, plating three runs.  Designated hitter Mike Shymanski (Edison, N.J.) led off with a single to left and would go on to steal second.  Clark then reached second on a fielding miscue as Shymanski came around to score.  Senior Joe D'Andrea (Hamilton, N.J.), who appeared to be bunting, then slapped what looked like a hit down the first base line.  First baseman Matt Herrmann (Maple Shade, N.J), playing in on the bunt attempt, made a great defense stab and kept the ball in the infield but could not get the hustling D'Andrea who slid into first base with a single.  Now with runners on the corners, De La Rosa laid down a squeeze bunt of his own, to give Kean a 4-0 lead.  D'Andrea would go on to score after swiping third and crossing the plate on another sacrifice fly, Kean's fifth sacrifice of the afternoon.

The Ospreys broke up the shutout in the top of the ninth.  Junior Joe Sacerdote (Deptford, N.J.) had a one out single and was later replaced by pinch-runner Dave Andrews (Millville, N.J.).  Mike Liquori (Manahawkin, N.J.) moved him to third on a single to right centerfield.  Senior Brian Paras (Cape May Courthouse, N.J.) then grounded out to the shortstop to drive in the Ospreys only run of the afternoon.

Augustine (7-2) picked up the complete game win, his fourth complete game of the season.  He allowed just seven hits, all singles, while fanning eight and walking no one.

Freshman Matt Hunt (Marlton, N.J.) suffered the loss.  Hunt (3-3) allowed five runs, just one earned, in seven innings of work.  He also gave up five hits, struck out one and walked two.

Offensively Shymanski was 2-for-3 while Clark was 1-for-3 with a double and RBI for the Cougars.

For Richard Stockton, Sacerdote and Liquori had two hits apiece.

The double-elimination tournament will continue through Monday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J.