Trenton, NJ (5-19-10) – The Keystone College baseball team made a loud statement in its opening game of the 2010 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional, as the fifth seed Giants scored eight runs over the first three innings in dominating fourth seed Alvernia University 13-3.
Keystone, which came into the Regional ranked 21st in the latest D3baseball.com poll, moves 30-7 on the year, while Alvernia falls to 32-11.
The Giants move into the winner's bracket and will play at 4:30pm on Thursday. Keystone is looking at a match-up against the nation's number one team in Johns Hopkins University. The top seed Blue Jays downed eight seed Moravian in game two of the tournament, 13-4. Alvernia will play Moravian in an elimination game on Thursday at 10am.
Sean Brewer picked up his seventh victory of the season, moving to 7-1. Brewer worked five innings, allowing one hit, while striking out three. He also raised his season strikeout tally to a team leading 53.
Keystone knocked out 18 hits on the day, with Edwin Padua collecting four hits. Angel Fargas and Esteban Meletiche each picked up three hits.
Eric Groff picked up a pair of hits, while driving in four. Arbello knocked in three, all via a three run first inning home run. Padua drove in a pair, while Meletiche scored four runs as the Giants table setter.
Angel Fargas also had a strong showing at the plate with a three hit game, as Ray Jackson and
Ryan Smyth each added a pair of hits.
The Giants continued their trend of starting off quickly by scoring three runs in the top of the first. After a leadoff single by Meletiche and a bunt single by Padua, Arbello delivered a one-out blast to left-center for the early lead.
Groff added another crooked number for the Giants in the second with a two out single to left to score Meletiche. Meletiche reached with a two-out double to left-center and after a Padua infield single, advanced to third on an error by the Alvernia third-baseman.
Keystone put a four spot on the board in the third on four hits and a pair of fielder's choices that failed to result in an out.
Ryan Smyth led off the third with a homer to left and was followed by an Angel Fargas single to left that chased Alvernia starter Shane Zellers, who entered the game with 1.66 ERA for the Crusaders. Andy Vega promptly greeted reliever Cody Smith with a single to put runners on the corners.
Following a sacrifice by Brian Del Rosso that advanced Vega to second, Ray Jackson's infield single scored Fargas, with Vega moving to third and Jackson to second on the throw home. Meletiche kept things going with a fielder's choice, scoring Vega and moving Jackson to third. On the next pitch Meletiche stole second to out two runners in scoring position.
Groff closed out the Keystone scoring in third with an RBI groundout that scored Jackson.
After a scoreless fourth, the Giants offense put up two in the fifth. The first two players reached base safely when Jackson singled to center and Meletiche was hit by a pitch. After a double steal, Padua tripled to the gap in right-center to plate both runners for a 10-0 lead. They would move the advantage to 11-0 in the sixth when Vega scored on an Alvernia error, one of two committed by the Crusaders on the day.
The Giants closed out their scoring in the ninth when Groff doubled doubled to right-center to plate Meletiche and Padua.
A live blog from Keystone's game will be available on Thursday, beginning right before first pitch, as well as live stats. Fans can go to www.gokcgiants.com to follow all the action.
Box Score/Play by Play
