Box Score

NEWARK, NJ –Rutgers-Newark freshman third baseman Brian Kokos and junior catcher Steve Tamayo notched two hits apiece, but those singles were the only ones yielded by Kean right-hander Charles Thielmann in a 10-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference win for the #1 ranked Cougars in Riverfront Stadium.

Thielmann (5-1) notched his second complete-game win in four starts while striking out four and walking just one as Kean (22-5, NJAC 6-1), which moved to the top of the D3Baseball.com Top 25 poll on Tuesday, reeled off its seventh straight victory.

Kokos singled in the second and fourth innings, and Tamayo reached safely in the second and fifth before Thielmann retired the final 15 batters in order.

Kokos lead off the second with a single to right center field, was sacrificed to second by senior leftfielder Matt Larangera and moved to third on a single through the middle by Tamayo to give the Scarlet Raiders (7-19, NJAC 2-6) their best chance to score.  But Thielmann got a double-play grounder to second base to escape the threat.

Tamayo led off the fifth with an infield single but was stranded on third as Thielmann started his strong closing run.

Raider sophomore starter Andrew Nasti (1-2) battled through five innings, yielding five runs on just four hits as he walked four and hit two batters.  The Cougars scored four times against reliever Chris Nichols in the sixth to break open the game.

Junior centerfielder Shane Alvarez paced Kean's 13-hit assault by going three for five with a double, an RBI and a run scored.  Junior second baseman Tyler Smarslok and junior leftfielder Joe O'Connor had two hits apiece for the Cougars with Smarslok scoring twice and O'Connor driving in three runs.

Rutgers-Newark visits Kean in Union on Friday to complete the home-and-away regular season series.  First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. in Jim Hynes Baseball Stadium.

The Raiders “host” Rowan in an NJAC doubleheader on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island.