Lakewood, NJ (5-16-12) – Keystone College scored 13 runs on 12 hits as the top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Regional advanced to round two with a 13-7 win over eighth seed Daniel Webster College.
Third ranked Keystone moves to 36-6 on the year, while the Eagles of Daniel Webster fall to 23-18.
The Giants will take on fourth seed Ramapo College on Thursday at 4:30pm in a winner's bracket contest. Ramapo downed fifth seeded Neumann University 10-6 in the opening game of the tournament.
The offense had the upper hand in the early going as both squads combined for 10 runs in the first two innings, with the Giants and Eagles exchanging leads. After the pitching staffs from both squads settled in for the next couple of innings, it was the Keystone offense that took control once again with six run fifth inning to provide some breathing room.
In addition to their bats, the Giants had their legs working for them as well, picking up 10 stolen bases on the day. Esteban Meletiche led the way with four swipes, while Andrew Siano, Frank Mormino and Gabriel Molina each adding two.
Lymbel Guerrero doubled while leading the Giants with a three hit afternoon. Meletiche and Molina also doubled as part of two hit afternoons. Meletiche also scored three times. Molina and Chris Bzozowski each drove in a pair, while Siano, Bzozowski, who homered, and Brian Del Rosso scored two each.
Connor Smith moved to 6-1 on the year, earning the victory in three and two-thirds innings of relief work, Smith allowed one earned run and struck out four.
The Eagles showed no nerves in their first NCAA appearance, scoring a run in their first at bat. After a walk and single to lead things off, Daniel Webster strung together a pair of ground outs to plate the run.
The Giants answered right back in the bottom half of the inning as the first five players reached safely to kick start a four run rally. Meletiche led off with a walk, stole second and was joined on base by Siano who was hit by a pitch. After a double steal, Meletiche would come in thanks to a wild pitch to knot the score at one.
Bzozowski then drew a base on balls for the Giants and was followed by a Lymbel Guerrero laser double to left center that plated Siano and moved Bzozowski to third. Frank Mormino then singled to deep second to score Bzozowski for a 3-1 edge. After a Mormino steal and a Keystone strikeout, Molina lined a shot to center that Josh Chaase made a diving catch on. Guerrero tagged up and scored from third and it appeared so did Mormino from second, but the second base umpire ruled that he did not tag up and was Mormino was ruled out, resulting in a double play.
Daniel Webster responded right back with three runs of their own in the second to knot the score at four. The Eagles sandwiched a pair of hits around a fly out and strikeout to put two on with two outs. A single to center scored the Eagles first run and after Andrew Eggleston hit Kyle Brigham to reload the bases, Korey LeLievre lined a double down the leftfield line to drive in two tying things up.
Keystone added two more in the bottom of the second when Del Rosso was hit by a pitch with one out and came around to score when Meletiche doubled to deep left center. Meletiche would come around to score after stealing third and scoring on a perfectly placed bunt single by Siano.
In the third the Eagles went in order for the first time after Smith relived Eggleston to start the frame. The Giants put two on with two out in the bottom half but could not bring anyone around. Following a scoreless fourth on both ends, the Eagles inched a bit closer with a run in the fifth, as they put runners on the corners with no one out. A Tyler Bonin single to center would plate a run, while the potential tying run was cut down at the plate on a great relay by Del Rosso to Mormino and Guerrero to nail the runner at the plate.
A six run sixth helped give the Giants some breathing room. Mormino reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a foul out for the first run.
After a fly out Miquel Castano walked and stole second before being joined on base by Del Rosso and Meletiche who were also hit by pitches. A wild pitch scored Castano and moved up the runners for the Giants second run, before Siano drew a walk that saw Del Rosso score on a ball four wild pitch.
Meletiche scored the fourth run of the frame as he stole home as part of a double steal with Siano. Bzozowski provided the big bop, picking up the first home run of the Lakewood Regional with a two run blast to left.
The Eagles bounced back for a pair of unearned runs in the sixth, chasing Smith. Smith turned in a solid relief effort, allowing one unearned run and striking out four. Keystone took one back in the bottom of the inning when Rojas singled, advanced to third on a failed pick-off attempt and scored on a Gabriel Molina groundout for a 13-7 Keystone lead after six innings to cap off the scoring.
