Box Score

Grand Chute, Wis. - Kean University (N.J.) used some timely hitting and took advantage of six defensive errors by Trinity College (Conn.) as the Cougars prevailed, 8-5, over the defending national champions on Friday (May 22) in a first round game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

Perhaps the hottest team in the country coming into this year's World Series, Trinity was also looking to ride the coattails of one of the nation's top pitchers in Jeremiah Bayer. The Bantams (33-6) earned their way into the field by waltzing through both the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament and the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship unscathed, and Bayer was unbeaten in 12 decisions on the mound.

"We were very excited to play this game today," said Kean head coach Neil Ioviero. "If you're going to have a chance at winning this thing, you have to beat the best team, so we were looking forward to this challenge. We executed at the times when we needed. We got big hits. Obviously, you have to get the ball in play, get some bunts down, steal some bases. [Trinity] didn't play as well as they could have played -- I'm sure -- but neither did we. That's the way it goes sometimes."

It looked as if the postseason momentum might stay with the Bantams after they raced out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. More defensive miscues, coupled with control issues by Bayer, led to four unanswered runs by the Cougars (33-9), who made it 4-1 through their half of the sixth.

"I guess we just pressed a little too much today," Trinity head coach Bill Decker said. "If you throw and catch you have a chance to win. That's the disappointing thing."

Trinity got back a run in the bottom half when James Wood laced a double to the wall in left-center field and later scored on a two-out single by designated hitter Kevin Mortimer to make it 4-2.

Dave Zavistocki led off the next frame for the Cougars with a double, and back-to-back RBI singles by D.J. Breckenridge and Ryan Gibbons allowed Kean to plate two more runs, including the eventual game-winner.

Gibbons drove in a pair of runs, as did teammate Mike Manganiello. Michael Moceri, Lee Cavico and Vinny Galya collected two hits apiece, while Kean starting pitcher Pedro Riviera went six complete innings and allowed three earned runs to improve to 5-0 on the season.

Not willing to go away without a fight, Trinity scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning before Wood struck again with a two-out single up the middle that allowed two more runs to score and make it 6-5. Cougars reliever Brandon Aich managed to hold on for his 11th save of the season.

Wood finished the day by going 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored a pair of RBI.

Kean, which is making its third straight appearance in the finals since winning the 2007 national title, added an insurance run in both the eighth and ninth innings. Bayer worked into the eighth, but not before he had surrendered 10 hits, four earned runs and five walks to go along with five strikeouts.

"Jeremiah pitched well enough to win," said Decker. "He walked more guys than he does normally. But he's still our guy. We didn't get it done today, and we need to move on. We need to stick together. They can lick their wounds a little bit today and give a little better effort tomorrow morning."

By: Luke LeNoble (Assistant Sports Information Director, Marquette University)