Box Score UNION, N.J. – Kean University RBI leader Joe O'Connor plated Tyler Smarslok with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a tie and the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team stranded the tying run on third in the ninth inning as the Cougars edged the Warriors, 2-1, in a battle of nationally-ranked teams Friday afternoon at Jim Hynes Stadium.
Ranked No. 9 nationally, Kean (12-4) ended No. 19 Eastern's (8-2) six-game winning streak with its fifth straight win over the Warriors since 2007.
In a matchup of team aces, senior righty Kevin Herget outdueled Eastern senior lefty Tom Darby (Middletown, RI), although neither figured in the decision. Herget pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit baseball and departed with a 1-0 lead, while Darby gave up only one (earned) run on five hits before departing one batter after the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the seventh.
Trailing 1-0, Eastern tied the game in the eighth when junior third baseman Mike Vacccarelli (Wolcott) singled to open the inning against new pitcher Charles Thielmann, stole second, moved to third on a ground ball by sophomore leftfielder Adam Roderick (West Hartford) and scored on senior first baseman Joe Balowski's (Berlin) sacrifice fly to right.
Working his first full inning in place of Darby, senior righty Matt Purnell (Stafford) opened the eighth by hitting Smarslok, who was sacrificed to second by No. 3 hitter Andy Lopez and scored on O'Connor's two-out single – his team-leading 14th RBI and only hit of the game -- through the left side.
With Eastern trailing by one, senior second baseman Drew Accomando (Monroe) opened the top of the ninth with his second hit (he reached three times in the game), moved to second on junior DH Gavin Lavallee's (New Milford) sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch, before Thielmann got the second out on a ground ball to short, and induced a game-ending fly ball to center.
Herget fanned eight and walked four, while Darby struck out five and walked two. Thielmann (3-1) gave up two hits without a strikeout or walk in two innings and Purnell (1-1) fanned one and gave up one hit. Purnell had entered the game in the seventh after the Cougars had scored their first run, and got two ground balls to leave a second runner in scoring position.
Eastern hosts Westfield State University in a non-conference noon doubleheader Saturday at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.
