Baseball

Cougars Advance To Regional Championship; Rally Past Johns Hopkins, 6-4

Boyertown, Pa. (5/18/07) - #1 Kean University scored four runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the eighth inning advancing to the 2007 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship game with a 6-4 win over #3 Johns Hopkins University at Bear Stadium Friday afternoon.

The Cougars (38-8) started their rally in the eighth when senior Perry Schatzow (Ocean Township, N.J.) singled to centerfield and scored on a passed ball by the Blue Jays catcher.  Junior Kevin O'Neill (Union, N.J.) walked with two outs followed by a single by junior Maikel De La Rosa (Newark, N.J.).  Junior Eric Ammirata (Hamilton, N.J.) then came in to pinch-hit and singled home O'Neill.  Junior Dan Mattonelli (Hamilton, N.J.) capped off the rally with a two-RBI double plating De La Rosa and Ammirata.

Johns Hopkins (37-10) drew a lead-off walk in the top of the ninth inning but a double play emptied the bases and senior Joe Augustine (Highland Park, N.J.) struck out the final Blue Jay retiring the side. 

Augustine improved to 8-2 scattering 10 hits over nine innings allowing four runs and striking out 11.  Sophomore Chez Angeloni (Jenkintown, Pa.) took the loss allowing 12 hits and six runs over eight innings with four strikeouts.  Both pitchers went the distance for their respective teams.

Hopkins led for the first seven and a half innings as they opened up a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly from junior Tony Margve (Randolph, N.J.) and took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a three-run blast from Margve over the left field fence.

Kean tied the game at one in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI double from O'Neill and cut the margin down to two runs (4-2) in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single from junior Derek Gianakas (Edison, N.J.) setting up the eighth inning rally.

The Cougars will take on Johns Hopkins University in the championship on Saturday at noon.