Box Score GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team topped Kean University, 8-2 in the second round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament.
 
Rowan is the second seed and has an overall record of 30-8. Kean has a mark of 29-11 and is the fourth seed. Rowan hosts the remainder of the tournament on Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4. Kean faces the top seed Rutgers-Camden (28-10-1) at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The third seed Montclair State University (21-16) takes on the sixth seed William Paterson University (14-20-1) at 11:30 a.m. The final game of the day has Rowan facing the winner of Kean versus Rutgers-Camden at 2:30 p.m.
 
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Easterday (jr. Westmont, NJ/Haddon Twp.) pitched a complete game to earn the victory. He (4-1) allowed two runs, one earned on seven hits and struck out four batters. Lefty Mike Occhi (fr. Hillsborough, NJ/Hillborough) took the loss. He (4-1) gave up six runs and eight hits in four innings pitched.
 
Third baseman Kevin McMenamin (jr. Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) went three for four with a double and three runs scored. Second baseman Mark Benak (sr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) hit a home run, while designated hitter Casey Grimes (jr. Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) recorded one hit and one run scored. Right fielder Ryan Pavlik (jr. Blackwood, NJ/Highland Reg.) drove in a pair of runs.
 
For Kean, shortstop Ryan Reitmeyer (so. Lacey Twp., NJ/Lacey Twp.) and right fielder Ryan Kelley (so. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) each totaled two hits in four at bats. Kelley added one RBI. Left fielder Joe O'Connor (sr. Wharton, NJ/Morris Hills) hit a triple and scored one run.
 
Benak hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning to give Rowan a 1-0 lead. The Profs added two more in the second on RBI singles by catcher Connor Grant (sr. Shrewsbury, NJ/Red Bank Reg.) and Pavlik. Rowan made the score 4-0 in the third when center fielder Eric Perez (sr. Fords, NJ/Woodbridge) produced a run scoring single. Kean plated two runs in the fourth as Kelly notched a RBI base hit and second baseman Tyler Smarslok (sr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) recorded a sacrifice fly. The Profs got those runs back in the bottom of the inning on a ground out by Pavlik that scored first baseman Rich Powelson (jr. Shamong, NJ/Seneca) and a RBI single by shortstop Ryan Williams (jr. Southampton, NJ/Seneca). Rowan scored two more runs in the fifth when Powleson registered a sacrifice fly and McMenamin crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
 
The NJAC Baseball Championship Tournament schedule is below. Results and the updated schedule for the conference tournament are available at njacsports.com.
 
Tuesday, April 29 (at higher seeds)
Game 1 - #1 Rutgers-Camden 4, #6 William Paterson University 0
Game 2 - #2 Rowan University 7, #5 The College of New Jersey 6
Game 3 - #4 Kean University 5, #3 Montclair State University 0

Thursday, May 1 (at higher seed)
Game 5 - #3 Montclair State University 9, #1 Rutgers-Camden 6
 
Friday, May 2 (at higher seeds)
Game 4 - #6 William Paterson University 8, #5 The College of New Jersey 3
(TCNJ is eliminated.)
Game 6 - #2 Rowan University 8, #4 Kean University 2
 
Saturday, May 3 (at Rowan University)
Game 7 - #1 Rutgers-Camden vs. #4 Kean University, 8:30 a.m.
Game 8 - #3 Montclair State University vs. #6 William Paterson University, 11:30 a.m.
Game 9 - #2 Rowan University vs. winner game 7, 2:30 p.m.

If two teams remain after game 9:
Sunday, May 4 (at Rowan University)
Game 10 - winner game 8 vs. winner game 9, noon
Game 11 - same as game 10 (if necessary), TBA

If three teams remain after game 9:
Sunday, May 4 (at Rowan University)
Game 10 - winner game 8 vs. loser game 9, noon
Game 11 - winner game 9 vs. winner game 10, 4:00 p.m.