Baseball

#1 Chapman Edges #8 Kean, 1-0

Orange, Calif. (3/20/08) - Sophomore Joe Bartlinski (South Amboy, N.J.) tossed a complete game allowing no earned runs and just four hits, but it wasn't enough as #1 Chapman University squeaked by #8 Kean University, 1-0, Thursday afternoon in the Cougars final game of their west coast swing.

Despite outhitting the Panthers, Kean falls to 11-4 as they return home to New Jersey.  During their spring break trip, KU was 4-2, falling to Chapman twice.

This was also the first shutout loss for the Cougars since the final game of 2006 as KU was defeated by Montclair State, 7-0 on May 20th in regional competition.  That span includes 65 games.

The Panthers (17-2) got the only run they would need in the bottom of the first inning as Ryan Pretchl reached on a throwing miscue.  A sacrifice bunt moved him around to second and after KU recorded the second out of the inning on a strikeout, designated hitter Stuart Hyman brought across the game's only run with an RBI single.

Seniors Bryan Burke (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and Maikel De La Rosa (Newark, N.J.) recorded two hits a piece for the Cougars in the loss.

On the mound, Bartlinski (3-1) also fanned six and walked just three in the hard-luck loss.

Kean will return to action back on the east coast as they take on Keystone College in doubleheader action on Saturday, March 22^nd at noon.