UNION, NJ – Kean rallied past Rutgers-Newark in game two, 5-4, to complete a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep on Jim Hynes Field.  The Cougars took the opener 11-0.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Kean 11, Rutgers-Newark 0
Kean 5, Rutgers-Newark 4

IN GAME TWO, the Scarlet Raiders led 3-1 in the top of the fourth, but Cougar sophomore leftfielder Joe O'Connor, who went four for four and scored three times, helped fuel a 13-hit attack which spelled the difference.

Raider sophomore rightfielder Jimmy Napolitano figured in all of his team's scoring spurts with two runs, a sacrifice fly.

Senior centerfielder Chris Ballester opened the game with a triple into the left centerfield gap before sophomore first baseman Vin Troisi drew a walk.  Two wild pitches brought Ballester home and put Troisi on third where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Napolitano as Rutgers-Newark jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

Napolitano was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single through the right side of the infield by senior third baseman Tim Miller in the fourth, but Kean sandwiched runs around that tally in the third and fourth to make it a 3-2 game.

An O'Connor single followed by a triple by sophomore first baseman Nick Zucchero and a sacrifice fly gave Kean two runs and a 4-3 lead in the sixth.

Rutgers-Newark knotted the score in the eighth after Napolitano lead off with a single and scored on a 2-out single through the right side of the infield by sophomore shortstop Kevin Olah.

O'Connor broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth.  He singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third before scoring the winning run on a squeeze bunt by pinch hitter Nick Ramagli.

Junior righthander Michael Schneider gave the Raiders seven full innings on the mound, scattering 10 hits and walking just one while posting a pair of strikeouts.  Senior closer Nick Evans took the loss before senior Anthony Palladino left runners on second and third to end the eighth.

IN THE OPENER, Rutgers-Newark managed just five singles against Kean University pitching.

Ballester, junior first baseman Ryan Maloney, Napolitano and freshmen Nick Gencarelli and Andrew Nastii notched the hits for the Raiders (15-19, NJAC 4-10) who lost for the seventh straight time in NJAC play.

Kean (25-9, NJAC 10-4) bounced back from back-to-back losses to Rowan on Thursday and Friday behind the pitching of Ryan Zamorsky who struck out six against two walks in seven full innings of work.

Sophomore righthander Michael Garcia (0-2) took the loss after giving up eight runs on 10 hits in 3-2/3 innings.  Each of three Raider relievers gave up a single run to the Cougars.

Rutgers-Newark hosts King's College in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium at 7 p.m. before beginning the final week of play in the NJAC.

The Raiders visit William Paterson on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. before hosting the Pioneers on Senior Night on Friday.  Six seniors will be honored during pre-game ceremonies before the 6 p.m. contest.

Rutgers-Newark visits Rowan on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for the regular-season ending NJAC doubleheader.