NCAA Game 14
Keystone finally broke through the win column against Kean and because of it, the two teams will play for the third time three days in a winner-take-all final at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Baseball Championship, Sunday at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.
Rob Rogers earned his second victory of the tournament with a one-hitter as the Giants beat Kean, 2-0, Saturday, to force the ‘if’ game, Sunday at 1:00.
Rogers struck out seven and allowed just a sixth inning single as the Giants earned their first win in 17 tries versus Kean.
Gabriel Ramirez gave Keystone all the offense it would need in the first inning and Gabriel Molina added an insurance run on a solo homer in the ninth.
Michael Kendall had the lone hit for Kean.
Dan Hansen was the tough-luck losing pitcher as he allowed just six hits and one earned run over nine innings.
Keystone took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Kevin Catherina reached on an infield error and moved to second on Austin Straub’s sacrifice bunt.
Tyler Gurman battled back from an 0-2 hole to coax a walk and Ramirez singled to center to put Keystone ahead.
Kean got its only hit in the sixth inning when Kendall broke up Rogers’ no-hit bid as well as Keystone’s 12.2 hitless innings streak over two games versus Kean.
Keystone added an insurance run in the ninth when Molina drilled a solo homer over the left field wall.
Keystone improved to 37-9 while Kean dropped to 37-11. Sunday’s winner will advance to the D-III World Series in Appleton, WI.
