WATCH: Bergen Baseball Star Patrick Kivlehan Homers In First Major League Game

Former Rutgers standout and St. Joseph's alumnus Patrick Kivelhan's Major League Baseball debut was a night to remember Saturday.

Kivelhan, 26, batted seventh and played left field and on his second at-bat, crushed an 0-2 pitch from Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray 451 feet for his first major league home run. It was the Padres first hit of the game, MLB.com reported.

Kivlehan had two hits in his major league baseball debut.

“It was pretty surreal,” Kivlehan told the San Diego News Tribune. “I hit it and I didn’t feel it so that’s a good thing. I definitely knew I got it. It’s one of those things where you don’t know what to think running around the bases.

“You’re kind floating around second and third.”

Kivlehan finished the game going 2-4 with two hits.

Kivlehan hit 13 home runs during his time at St. Joseph's. He played 43 games at safety for four years with the Scarlet Knights. During the spring of his senior year, he decided to tryout for the baseball team.

He started the season with two hits in four of Rutgers' first five games and earned the starting spot at third base.

Kivlehan finished the season with a .410 batting average, 10 home runs, 50 runs batted in, and 24 stolen bases. It was the first Triple Crown in Big East conference history and was named player of the year.

“It is great to see another Scarlet Knight get called up,” Rutgers head baseball coach Joe Litterio said. “Pat was a tremendous asset to our program. I wish him all the best.”

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Patrick Kivlehan during an at-bat while playing for Rutgers University. — Courtesy of Scarletknights.com