UNION, N.J. (February 23, 2011) – Juniors T.J. Alcorn and Ryan Kiczek and sophomore Michael Donovan each went 1-for-3 as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team took an early 2-1 lead over No. 3 Kean University in its season opener at Jim Hynes Stadium in Union, N.J., but the Cougars rallied with three runs in the third and fourth innings to complete its comeback bid over the Ducks.

After Cougars' junior righthander Julian Diaz (North Bergen, N.J.) retired the Ducks in order to open the first, Kean wasted no time getting on the board to start the 2011 season, notching the team's first run of the year in the bottom half of the frame.

Junior outfielder Vinny Galya (Old Bridge, N.J.) kicked things off with a leadoff single up the middle before stealing second. The Old Bridge, N.J. native then advanced to third on a Ken Gregory (Pittstown, N.J.) fly out to center before senior Nick Nolan (Linden, N.J.) singled in the game's first tally.

Looking to keep pace, Ducks' senior Russ Grimes reached on a throwing error before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Alcorn then notched an infield single to third, putting runners on first and second with no out. Hoping to advance both runners, veteran catcher Denis Ackermann laid down a sacrifice to move Alcorn and Grimes to second and third, respectively.

Donovan then grounded out to second, scoring Grimes, while moving Alcorn to third to knot the game at one. Hoping to pull the Ducks' ahead, Kiczek ripped a big, two-out, RBI single to center, scoring Alcorn to put Stevens on top.

With an upstart Stevens squad still up 2-1 in the bottom of the third, the Cougars put together a rally, notching a pair of runs in the frame to erase the deficit. With one on and one out, sophomore Nick Ramagli (Emerson, N.J.) singled through the left side, advancing Galya to second. The duo would then steal second and third, before Gregory knocked in the tying run with a ground out to short. Trying to put Kean back on top, Nolan responded by again coming up with a big two-out RBI single, finding space back up the middle to make it 3-2.

The Cougars would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth on a Galya single to left that scored senior Chris Carrano (Lincoln Park, N.J.), giving Diaz all he needed, with the starter allowing just one hit over the final five en route to a complete game victory. The Lincoln Park, N.J. native retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced, surrendering only a hit to Donovan to start the eighth.

Alcorn, Donovan and Kiczek notched Stevens' lone hits, with Donovan and Kiczek accounting for the Ducks' pair of runs batted in. Senior Kenneth Meerendonk allowed four runs on eight hits over eight innings of work in the loss.

Galya and Ramagli each went 2-for-4 for Kean with Nolan going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Diaz scattered three hits, allowing just two unearned runs, while striking out 10 in his first win of the season.

Stevens returns to action on February 26-27 against former Skyline rivals College of Mount St. Vincent and Mount Saint Mary College.