Keystone Bests Neumann for CSAC Baseball Crown
BOYERTOWN, PA: Top-seeded Keystone College scored four first-inning runs and never looked back, defeating second-seeded Neumann University 10-3 to win its fourth consecutive CSAC baseball championship. Keystone's Blaine O'Brien threw 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts, to earn the victory, as the Giants out-hit the Knights 10-5 for the day, with five for extra bases.
Keystone send seven men to the plate and jumped to a quick 4-0 lead in the first, with the big hit a three-run homer from Lymbel Gurrerro. The Giants would tack on one run in the second, three in the fourth, and two more in the fifth, capped off by another long ball, this one by Gaston Rojas.
Neumann got on the board in the top of the third, when Bill Pace scored on an RBI-ground out from Kevin Flanagan. The Knights would score their final two runs in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of four free passes.
Miguel Castano led Keystone with three hits, while Chris Bzozowski and Esteban Meletiche each had two. Five different players accounted for Neumann's five hits on the day, with Dave Kalash posting NU's lone extra-base hit, a second inning double.
Meletiche was named the CSAC Championship MVP, after going 7-for-15 with three doubles, three RBIs, and three runs scored in the Giants' three playoff games.
With the win, Keystone automatically qualifies for the NCAA Division-III national tournament which is tentatively slated to get underway the weekend of May 13th.