Kean Baseball Roundup

By: Darien Evans-Raines

The Cougars’ baseball season has begun. The NJAC champions are living up to their pre-season hype. So far, with the first quarter of the season done, the Kean Cougars are 8-4. All of the games in the first half are out of conference and state game, including a tough West Coast trip. The cougars look to dominate the second half of their schedule. The games highlighted are from March 12 through 14.

Kean 12, Ithaca 10: The bats came alive for Kean. The Cougars were down by one going into the ninth. Kean was not going to take no for an answer. They manufactured five runs in the top ninth led by O’Connor with a two-run triple, a sacrifice fly from first baseman Salvatore Taormina, and two errors bringing in the next two runs.

Redlands 11, Kean 8: Kean pitching got blasted. Pitchers Andrew Torres and Dan Hansen combined to give up eight earned runs. The Cougars were in it early. Going into the bottom of the third inning, Kean was up 4-2.  That lead quickly disappeared as the Redland Bulldogs scored three runs in the third and four in the fourth. After the fourth, Redlands had a 9-5 lead which was enough to hold off the Cougars and give them a third lost on their West Coast trip.

Kean 11, Whittier 9: The Cougars were all over the Whittier Poets from the first pitch. Kean was able to plate multiple runs in three out of the first four innings. Kean had a comfortable 8-5 lead after four innings. In the sixth Kean would get back to their offensive ways, scoring three runs. They held off the Poets in the last three innings to secure a victory. Kean was led by right fielder Shane Alvarez, who was 3 for 4, with a double and three RBI’s. Charles Thielmann put the pen to the Poets and closed out the game for Kean.

---