BOX SCORE
Union, NJ (March 4, 2010) – Six different pitchers combined to allow just seven hits and one run as the DeSales University baseball team opened its 2010 season with an impressive 2-1 win over Kean University on Thursday afternoon at Jim Hynes Stadium in Union, NJ.
The Bulldogs (1-0 overall) had eight hits themselves and never trailed in the game, defeating Kean, a team that has been to the College World Series each of the past three years and won the 2007 National Championship.
DSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when junior Carson Slonaker (East Greenville, PA/The Perkiomen School) doubled and later scored on an RBI single from freshman Bill Marriott (Boothwyn, PA/Chichester). The Bulldogs doubled its lead in the top of the third inning when senior Doc Neiman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) singled home junior Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley) who had singled and stole second base to start the inning.
Kean left runners at second and third with one out in the fourth and also had the tying run at second base on a lead-off double in the eighth inning but junior Alex Brown (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame) made a terrific play on a sacrifice bunt, throwing the runner out at third and senior Mark Reilly (Cream Ridge, NJ/Notre Dame) for the final out to end the eighth inning rally with two men on-base.
Senior Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) came on to pitch a perfect ninth inning to record his first save of the year and the 16th of his career and freshman Dan Gayeski (New Castle, DE/Salesianum) earned his first career win in his first career start, pitching three shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out three. The pitching staff combined to walk just one batter and that walk was intentional for the game.
At the plate Newland and Slonaker each had two hits to lead the eight hit attack. The Bulldogs also stole four bases with Newland swiping two of them.
DeSales returns to action on Monday, March 8th when they take on Schreiner University (TX) in a doubleheader in its first game of a seven-game in six days spring break trip next week.
