LAKEWOOD, N.J. (5/16/09) - Freshman Lee Cavico ignited an eight-run third inning with a 400-foot homerun, as Kean University defeated Keystone College, 12-6, to advance to the NCAA Division III World Series for the third straight season at FirstEnergy Park on Saturday evening.
The top-seeded Cougars (38-9) won their 12th straight regional contest, as they defeat the second-seeded Giants for the second straight day. Making just their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Giants, who had their 27-game winning streak snapped on Friday by Kean, close out the season 40-6.
Kean will face the winner of the NCAA New England Region in the opening round of the World Series on Friday, May 22, in Appleton, Wis.
Junior starter Joe Bartlinski earned his seventh win (7-3) of the season, as he scattered seven hits and six runs in 6.2 innings of work.
Leading 2-1, the Cougars scored eight runs in the third inning when they sent 12 batters to the plate. Junior Mike Moceri led the inning off with a walk and Cavico followed two batters later with a blast off the billboards in left field to extend the lead to 4-1. Senior Mike Manganiello had a RBI single to score rookie Nick Ramagli, who had doubled after Cavico's homerun, to push the lead out to 5-1.
Junior Dave Zavistoski had a RBI double and would score on a RBI single by rookie DJ Breckenridge for the 7-1 lead. Moceri reached base for the second time in the inning, driving in a run with a RBI single through the left side and the Cougars would score two more times in the inning on a Giants error.
Keystone put a run on the board in the fifth inning when rookie Esteban Meletichetripled to centerfield and later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Eric Groff.
The Cougars tacked another two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Manganiello and Zavistoski to extend the lead to 12-2.
Keystone cut into the Cougar lead in the seventh inning to pull within 12-6. After back-to-back walks to open the inning, Groff singled to right-center to drive in the first run of the inning and put runners at first and third with one out. Bartlinski struck out the next Giant for the second out, however the Giants followed with three straight RBI singles to cut the Cougar lead to 12-6.
Seniors Ben Fish, Jayson Rohenaand Kyle Conradeach drove in a run with singles to try and ignite a Keystone rally before a lineout to Kean's Moceri at second base ended the threat.
The Giants opened the game taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, as they took advantage of two walks, a hit batter and a Cougar error in the first inning to plate the first run of the game, however Keystone left three runners stranded.
After junior Ray Jacksonled off the game with a four-pitch walk and Meletiche was hit by a pitch, both advanced into scoring position on a failed pick-off attempt. Bartlinski recorded the next two outs with a pop-up and foul-out, before Fish walked to load the bases.
Rohena had a deep infield single to score Jackson, but the Cougars closed out the Keystone threat with a foul out for the third out of the inning to leave the bases loaded.
Kean answered right back and took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning, as rookies Breckenridge and Ryan Gibbons led off with back-to-back singles and Moceri followed with an infield single that allowed Breckenridge to score from second base.
Moceri would later move over to third base on a fly out, and after Cavico walked to put runners on the corners, Moceri would score the second run of the inning before Cavico was caught stealing on the attempted double steal.
Box Score
NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region
All-Tournament Team
Chris Esperon (The College of New Jersey)
Mike Galeotafiore (The College of New Jersey)
Jeff Toth (The College of New Jersey)
Eric Groff (Keystone)
Jayson Rohena (Keystone)
Rodney Francis (Elizabethtown)
Chuck Nicholas (Alvernia)
Lee Cavico (Kean)
Colin Feneis (Kean)
Mike Manganiello (Kean)
Ryan Zamorsky (Kean)
