UNION, NJ –
Mike Shannon threw a complete-game shutout, and
Pat Defeciani had three hits, as #21 Rowan defeated Kean, 4-0, in the nightcap to earn a doubleheader split, giving the Profs their fourth consecutive NJAC baseball regular-season title.
The battle for first place was delayed from Saturday as the games were postponed due to the weather. The Profs (28-10; 13-5 NJAC) now await the final NJAC Championship seedings, which will be announced on Tuesday following the conclusion of the final three regular-season doubleheaders. Rowan will host a first-round game on campus on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., with the opponent to be announced, before the tournament moves to Kean on Saturday through Monday.
It marked the first complete game of Shannon's career, as he struck out four and only walked one, while scattering six Kean hits.
Game 1
With Rowan leading, 4-3, Kean scored four runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away for the 11-4 win. A two-run home run by Christian Pellone in the seventh gave the Cougars a 5-4 lead, before the home team added on two more. A two-run single by Phil Marcantonio was among the big hits in Kean's inning as it took an 11-4 lead.
At the start, Kean scored first to open the game, but
Chris Curcio singled in
Jason Morgan to tie it up in the second. Kean went ahead in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs, taking a 3-1 lead.
In the third,
Phil Sedalis tied it with a two-run single that brought in
Tyler Cannon and
Brian Gallante. The Profs then took what would be their last lead, 4-3, when Schooley scored on a passed ball.
Starter
Zach Grace went six innings but
Sean Colbert (3-2) took the loss in relief as Kean's Collin Kiernan (6-4) earned the victory, which snapped Rowan's five-game winning streak.
Cannon was the only Prof with multiple hits with Sedalis driving in two runs.
Game 2
While Shannon was keeping Kean (23-15-1; 12-5-1) scoreless, Defeciani had three hits while Cannon and Sedalis had two each, with Cannon adding two RBI.
The Profs got on the board in the fourth when Sedalis doubled and
Anthony Schooley hit an RBI single. The Profs upped the lead to 3-0 in the fifth after Gallante reached on a fielder's choice and Curcio singled, with both scoring on a double by Cannon, his school-record 24th double of the season.
Morgan led off the sixth with a walk, advanced after
Ryan Murphy also drew a free pass, and scored on a single by Defeciani.