Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College baseball team fell short, 3-5 to Kean University today at Jeff Maund Field in Mahwah. The Roadrunners fall to 12-10 overall and 1-5 in the NJAC while the Cougars improve to 17-7 overall and 3-2 in the conference.

Junior pitcher Joseph Augustine (Highland Park, NJ) held the Roadrunners to just three runs pitching the complete game in Mahwah to improve to 3-1 on the year. Augustine struck out seven Roadrunners and walked three letting up nine Ramapo hits.

The Roadrunners jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Gino Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ) crossed home plate on a Justin Rabinowitz (Martinsville, NJ) double to right field. Gallagher walked with two outs to get on base.

In the top of the 3rd, the Cougars took the lead scoring three runs, two earned, off one Ramapo error. Ryan Kane (Bridgewater, NJ) led off the inning with a single to center and was sacrificed over to second right before Joe D'Andrea (Hamilton, NJ) and Perry Schatzow (Ocean, NJ) both walked to get on base. An attempt to turn a double play by the Roadrunners recorded one out and an error plating two Cougar runs for a 2-1 lead. Aaron Richard's (Plainfield, NJ) RBI single pushed the Cougar's ahead by two runs. Kean pushed two more runs across the plate in the 5th inning to jump ahead 5-1.

In the 6th inning the Roadrunners plated two runs close the gap, 5-3. Brad Szatkiewicz (Branchville, NJ) singled to lead off the inning and Mike Stetsko (Beachwood, NJ) walked to put runners on first and second. Gallagher singled to load the bases before Rabinowitz beat out an infield hit scoring Szatkiewicz. Junior shortstop Gary Miller (Turnersville, NJ) grounded into a fielder's choice to bring home the second run of the inning.

Kean held on wrapping up the day, 5-3 over Ramapo. Richard hit 2-3 with one RBI while Derek Gianakas (Edison, NJ) posted one hit on three at bats with one run scored. Mark Blevins (Edison, NJ) and Kane each added a run for the team. Ramapo's Gallagher hit a perfect 2-2 with one run and Rabinowitz went 2-4 with two RBI.

Sophomore pitcher Joe Coppage (Goldvein, NJ) recorded the loss pitching five innings falling to 1-1. Coppage struck out three and walked five in the loss.

The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow April 8, 2006 in a NJAC double header at Richard Stockton College starting at Noon.