NCAA Game 7
Charles Thielmann tossed a complete game as Kean advanced to the winner’s bracket final of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional with a 5-2 win over Alvernia, Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.
The Cougars staked Thielmann to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and the Cougars never relinquished the lead while improving to 36-10.
Andy Lopez and Nick Ramagli both had three hits for Kean while Shane Alvarez had twohits and Joe O’Connor drove in two runs.
Chris Gehris led Alvernia with three hits and two RBI while Matt Patterson and Chris Younker both added two hits.
Kean used a two-out rally to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Lopez bounced a single through the left and Ramagli singled to left in front of O’Connor’s two-run double just inside the first base bag.
Sal Taormina added a single down the right field line to make it 3-0.
Kean made it 4-0 with another two-out run in the fourth. Matt Meleo ripped a double down the left field line, moved up on a wild pitch and came home on Tyler Smarslok’s single down the right field line.
Alvernia got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Billy Turner singled to left and moved to second when Matt Patterson was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and came home on Gehris’ ground single up the middle off the glove of a diving Smarslok at second base to make it 4-2.
Kean put together another two-out threat in the fifth, but Alvernia’s Matt Bucklund got a strikeout to end the frame.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the eighth when Smarslok drew a one-out walk, moved up on a fielder’s choice and scored on Ragli’s double to center to make it 5-2.
Thielman struck out four and scattered 10 hits. The Cougars will face the Ramapo/Keystone winner, Friday at 4:30.
Alvernia, 34-10, will play Misericordia in an elimination game, Friday at 10:00 a.m.
