NEWARK, NJ – A two-run double by Kean freshman rightfielder Dylan Laguna keyed a five-run seventh inning which subdued Rutgers-Newark, 8-6, in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. 

NCAA Box Score & Play-by-Play

Rutgers-Newark senior catcher Gerard Russomanno hammered a two-run homer down the left field line in the second to give the Raiders the early lead. After Kean tied it up in the top of the third, freshman leftfielder Chris Ballester led off the bottom of the third with a home run over the left field wall. The lead held up until the seventh.

A two-run single in the seventh by sophomore shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer, who finished three for five, trimmed the Kean lead to 7-5 before singles by junior third baseman Joe Furnaguera and Russomanno in the eighth brought the Raiders to within a run. 

The Cougars got four singles and took advantage of two Raider errors in the top of the seventh to erase a 3-2 deficit.

Laguna, who finished two for three, also singled home Kean's first run to start a two-run rally in the third which knotted the score.

Back-to-back singles by freshman first baseman Lee Cavico and sophomore designated hitter Gabe Ramirez plated an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

Junior righthander Joe Bartlinski improved to 6-2 by striking out 10 and walking two against nine hits in seven full innings of work. Senior Drew Campbell got the save, giving up one run on four hits while striking out three and walking one in two full innings. He gave up two singles in the ninth, but struck out the other three batters to end the night.

Sophomore lefthander Billy Cerruti got the loss, giving up seven runs while striking out two and walking four in six-plus innings of work.  Seniors Robert Falk and Robert Adams and sophomore Michael Hansen combined to yield just one run on three thits over the final three innings.

Cougar head coach Neil Ioviero posted his 350th career win – all at Kean – as Kean (30-7, NJAC 13-3) extended its school-record streak of 30-win seasons to four with the win. The Cougars now need only to split their NJAC doubleheader at The College of New Jersey tomorrow to seize the top seeding in the upcoming six-team conference championship tournament. Rutgers-Newark (19-14, NJAC 7-9) now must sweep Ramapo in Mahwah in their final doubleheader tomorrow. Both twinbills begin at noon.