Lakewood, NJ (5-18-12) – Kean University made two early runs hold up and Ryan Zamorsky kept the Keystone offense at bay, as Kean University moved into the championship round of the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional with a 2-0 victory over Keystone College.
The Giants will attempt to get back into the championship round on Saturday when they face Ramapo College at 1pm. Should the Giants be victorious in their first Saturday game, they would force another game with Kean at 5pm. Should Keystone reach and win Saturday's 5pm game, they would force a winner take all contest on Sunday at 1pm.
With the win Kean moves to 36-10 on the season, while Keystone fell to 37-7.
The loss marked the first time this season that the Giants were shut out, while also dropping Keystone's all-time mark against the Cougars to 0-14.
Zamorsky tossed a complete game for the Cougars, allowing five hits and striking out five in moving to 10-1 on the year.
However, equally as impressive was Keystone starter Blaine O'Brien who also worked a complete game in dropping to 9-2 on the year. O'Brien allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out six.
Lymbel Guerrero and Brian Del Rosso picked up two hits each for the Giants, with Del Rosso including a double to his line. A Chris Bzozowski double was the only other Keystone hit as the Giants offense could not get things going.
For the third straight game at this regional the Giants fell behind by a 1-0 score in the first. After a leadoff groundout, Kean put together a bunt single and a double down the leftfield line to take the early lead.
After going down in order in the first, a Guerrero single to left started the second, but the Giants were not able to capitalize, stranding him at third to end the inning. Del Rosso picked up a one-out double in the second, advancing as far as third, s the Giants couldn't get him across.
The Cougars added a run to their advantage in the third, as a leadoff walk and single out runners on the corners with no out.
The Cougars looked to be putting something together, but O'Brien retired the next two batters before a passed ball brought in a run for a 2-0 edge.
A Bzozowski base on balls and a Guerrero single jump started the Keystone fourth putting two on with no one out. Frank Mormino put down the sacrifice bunt, but Kean's Zamorsky threw to third to get the lead runner in a very close play at the bag.
The Giants went down quietly from there, stranding two.
Del Rosso reached on a one out error in the fifth, but was caught stealing before Esteban Meletiche flew out to end the frame. The story was a similar one in the sixth as Bzozowski reached with a one out double, but the Giants once again failed to bring home a man who was in scoring position.
Kean put their leadoff runner on in the sixth with an infield single as he moved into scoring position with a stolen base and no one out. However, an O'Brien to Castano pick-off attempt was successful in erasing the runner. The Cougars' leadoff man reached again in the seventh, making his way to third before O'Brien picked up the strikeout to end the inning.
