Kean makes sure first time is the charm
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Kean hoists the Walnut and
Bronze as the Cougars celebrate their national
championship.
Photo by Ryan Coleman, D3sports.com
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Kean took advantage of two Emory errors in the bottom of the 10th inning to load the bases with nobody out and Perry Schatzow came through with an infield single to give the Cougars a 5-4 win and the 2007 Division III baseball national championship on Tuesday afternoon in Grand Chute, Wis.
Schatzow's hit went in the hole between third base and shortstop
and while Emory knocked the ball down, shortstop Brandon Custer had
no play anywhere as Joseph D'Andrea scored the winning run from
third.
Kean (43-8) overcame a gutsy effort by Emory starter Ian Ganzer,
who went nine innings on short rest, to run the table in the
championships round.
Andrew Cupido got the win with 5-2/3 innings of scoreless relief
for Kean, which won the national title for the first time. "They
came here with a lot of confidence," coach Neil Ioviero said after
the game. "We knew we wouldn't get a lot of respect; we'd have to
earn it."
Schatzow was named to the All-Tournament team. The Most
Outstanding Player award went to UW-Stevens Point's Jordan
Zimmermann.
Dan Mattonelli provided the first two runs for Kean. After Maikel
De La Rosa doubled in the first inning, Mattonelli brought him in
with a single. He added a sac fly in the third to score Joseph
D'Andrea, who had tripled.
Steve Bralver got Emory (43-10) on top. He hit a homer in the
fourth and a bases-loaded single in the fifth to help give the
Eagles a 4-3 lead. Kean tied it in the bottom of the inning with
help from two Emory errors and neither scored again until the 10th
inning.
