Baseball

Top Seeded Cougars Advance to NJAC Championship

Newark, N.J. (5/4/08) - Top seeded Kean University pounded out 21 hits en route to an 18-9 victory over #4 Rowan University in the winners bracket game of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament Sunday afternoon at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

With the win the Cougars (33-9) advance to the championship round on Monday, May 5^th at 1 p.m.  Rowan falls to 30-11 with the loss and will play again at 6 p.m. this evening against the winner of game 8 between #5 William Paterson and #2 Montclair State.

The Cougars got on top early, plating four runs in the top of the first.  Sophomore Nick Nolan (Linden, N.J.) provided the big blow, a two-run shot to left.  Rowan responded right away and scored four runs of their own in the bottom of the first.  The Profs punched out five hits as senior Robert Fox (Ocean Twp., N.J.) delivered a two RBI single in the inning.

Kean got some breathing room in the following two frames, scoring a combined six runs to go ahead, 10-4. 

On the hill, junior Drew Campbell (Hillsborough, N.J.) (pictured right) picked up the win in relief.  Campbell allowed four runs and eight hits in five and two thirds innings of work.  Campbell (5-2) also struck out three and walked no one.

Offensively for KU, Nolan was 3-for-6 with four RBI and two homeruns, including a monster shot over the black in centerfield.  Senior Eric Ammirata (Hamilton, N.J.) finished the afternoon with a 3-for-5 performance and three RBI while senior Maikel De La Rosa (Newark, N.J.) (pictured left) was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three walks.  Freshman Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen, N.J.) picked up his first collegiate homerun with a solo shot to lead off the fifth.

For the Profs, Fox was 3-for-3 with three RBI and teammate John McMullin (Woodbury, N.J.) was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.