Game #8 • Kean University 3, Chapman University 1

 

Augustine Outduels Kitchens As Kean Edges Chapman

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – The clash of the coasts proved to be worth the wait in the second winner’s bracket contest at the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

A two-hour rain delay and 20-run slugfest between UW-Stevens Point and Carthage pushed the start of Kean University (40-8) vs. Chapman University (41-6) to 10:30 p.m. and the end of the game to early Sunday morning, but those who stuck around witnessed a pair of solid performances from both starters as Kean edged Chapman 3-1.

Joseph Augustine earned the win for Kean, as the senior righty allowed one earned run on six hits with 11 strikeouts en route to his ninth victory and sixth complete game of the season.

“Augustine did a fantastic job to beat us today. We were able to do little against him. We got beat by a good team and a fantastic pitcher,” said Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk.

Kean struck first in the contest, as the tale of the tape failed to factor into the matchup between Cougar leadoff man Michael De La Rosa and Chapman starter Wayde Kitchens. The 5-foot-5, 125-pound De La Rosa took a pitch from the 6-5, 270-pound Kitchens up the middle in the first at-bat of the game for a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by the next hitter. After swiping third base, De La Rosa made it 1-0 in Kean’s favor when Dan Mattonelli plated him with a RBI single to left field.

Chapman responded with its lone run of the contest and tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth, as Tyler Dean scored from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Pearson.

The Cougars missed a golden opportunity in the fifth when Nick Nolan tripled with one out. Kean attempted to take the lead on a squeeze play, but the pitch was outside and Nolan was easily tagged out by Pearson at the plate.

The Cougars wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, as Derek Gianakas’ gapper to right-center field reached the wall. First basemen Aaron Richard followed with the game-winning hit, as his chopper up the middle snuck under Champman second basemen Kyle Redding’s glove and into center field to plate Gianakas and give the Cougars the 2-1 lead.

The Cougars added their insurance tally in the eighth, as Ryan Clark opened the inning with a walk. Clark moved to second on a passed ball and after Kevin O’Neill’s bunt single moved him to third, Chapman turned to its top pitcher out of the bullpen in Kurt Yacko. Yacko struck out the first hitter he faced, but Kean managed to make the score 3-1 without a batter putting the ball into play. Chapman made a play on O’Neill as he successfully stole second base, prompting Clark to race for home. The throw beat Clark to the plate, but he was safe after Pearson was unable to hang onto the ball.

Yacko worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth, leaving Chapman within striking distance heading into their final at-bat. Clark picked up his pitcher on the first at-bat of the inning, snagging a sharply hit ball to his left and rotating from his knees to shoot the runner at first. After an infield single, Augustine struck out the final two batters of the game to end the contest as the clock struck 1:31 a.m.

“I was having trouble spotting my fastball early in the game and used my slider to get first-pitch strikes. My curveball was my out pitch today and I was also able to use some timely changeups to keep their hitters off-balance,” said Augustine.

Kitchens, Augustine’s mound counterpart, threw seven innings, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

Kean will face UW-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. on Sunday with a berth in the tournament finals hanging in the balance.

Matt Troha
Midwest Conference Sports Information Director