NCAA Game 2
Joe O’Connor had three hits and drove in four runs to lead top-seeded Kean to a 12-7 over Penn State-Harrisburg in game two of the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Championships, Wednesday afternoon at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.
Andy Lopez added three hits and three RBI and Matt Meleo had three hits as Kean improved to 35-10.
Nick Zucchero scattered eight hits over eight innings to earn the win.
Branden Rutt had three hits for Penn State Harrisburg and Tim Gonzalez drove in three runs. Brian Balshy and Ross Baker both had two hits.
Kean took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Meleo led off with a single to center and moved to second when Tyler Smarslok reached on an errant throw on his sacrifice bunt. Following another misplayed bunt and a force out at home,
O’Connor cleared the bases with a three-run triple to the right center gap.
Penn State Harrisburg got a run back in the top of the second when Balshy reached on a two-base error and eventually scored on Gonzalez’ sacrifice fly.
Meleo and Smarslok both singled in the bottom of the second and scored on Lopez’ two-run double to make it 5-1.
The Lions cut the deficit to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Dalton Trolinger struck out, but reached on a wild pitch and moved to second on Travis Crammer’s infield single. Following a sacrifice bunt, Rutt singled through the right side to plate and run and Balshy added an RBI-single to right.
Kean broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Meleo led off with a triple to right and Smarslok reached via hit by pitch. Lopez lined a single to left and Nick Ramagli followed with a bunt single to load the bases. O’Connor laced an RBI-single to center and Alvarez added a two-run single to center.
James Lyczkowski added an RBI-single to make it 11-3.
Kean added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Andy Lopez lined a two-out single to center and came all the around when Ramagli laced a double into the left field corner.
Dalton Trolinger had a two-run single as part of Penn State Harrisburg’s four-run ninth inning.
Kean, 35-10,will face Alvernia, Thursday at 4;30 while Penn State Harrisburg will play Johns Hopkins in an elimination game, Thursday at 10:00 a.m.
