FORT MYERS, FL…After a split in day one of the 2003 Florida spring trip, the New Jersey City University baseball team did not fare as well on day two, dropping a 15-5 decision to Clarke, Iowa at 9 am to conclude a 1-2 three-game series with the Crusaders, and then were blanked, 3-0, in a 4pm contest with Monmouth, Illinois. The Gothic Knights are 1-3 overall on the season after two days of the 2003 Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
In the opener, Clarke (5-4) broke an 8-4 game open in the seventh inning, scoring seven times, thanks to seven walks, in an inning where seven just wasn’t lucky for the Knights.
Catcher Carl Van Fleet, who was Clarke’s best player in the three-game, two-day series between the two schools, had a two-run double in the fourth inning that helped turn a 4-1 lead into a 7-1 margin.
Dan Matias had a two-RBI single in the seventh for Clarke. Nick Williams earned the win for the Crusaders, throwing five innings, with four earned runs, seven hits, and one walk against. He fanned four NJCU batters.
Offensively for NJCU in the opener, junior designated hitter Jonathan Thomas (Newark, NJ/St. Benedicts Prep) was 2-for-3 with a two-run double in the fifth inning. Freshman Hector Molina (Jersey City, NJ/St. Aloysius) was 2-for-4 with a single, double, and run scored. Junior shortstop Rich Boyer (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was 2-for-4 with two singles, and junior second baseman Denis Peguero (Newark, NJ/Queen of Peace) had a third inning triple but was stranded on base.
Senior right-hander Pete Amadeo (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) suffered the loss, going three and 2/3 innings, while allowing seven earned runs, 10 hits, and four walks, with one strikeout.
In the nightcap Monmouth College, Illinois received a marvelous pitching performance from Tom Lann Holm, who fired a seven-inning, complete-game shutout of NJCU in the Fighting Scots (1-1) 3-0 victory. Lann Holm gave up just three hits, and walked none with two strikeouts.
NJCU’s only hits were singles by sophomore third baseman Anthony Caivano (Lyndhurst, NJ/Queen of Peace) in the second, and back-to-back knocks by junior designated hitter Steve Stiller (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) and junior left fielder Pat Moore (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) in the fourth.
The Scots tallied single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to spoil a solid overall performance in his first start of the season by senior righty Mike Ingui (Lodi, NJ/Lodi). Ingui lasted five 2/3 innings, and gave up only two hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts, but had a case of the wilds, walking seven.
NJCU is back in action in Fort Myers tomorrow, Sunday, March 9 as they play a morning double header with Haverford, PA, beginning at 9 am. One schedule change of note: NJCU’s game with the University of Dallas, TX on Monday has been changed to a contest with the College of Mount St. Joseph of Cincinnati, OH.
|
GAME 1 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Clarke IA (5-4) |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
x |
x |
15 |
16 |
0 |
|
New Jersey City (1-2) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
x |
x |
5 |
12 |
0 |
|
GAME 2 |
R |
H |
E |
|
New Jersey City University (1-3) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
x |
x |
0 |
3 |
2 |
|
Monmouth, IL (1-1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
X |
x |
x |
3 |
3 |
3 |
-WWW.NJCU.EDU/GOKNIGHTS-
