New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Ramapo College, which took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, moved in front by two in the fifth, and neither school could scratch out another run, as the Roadrunners won their first New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season, with a 4-2 victory over New Jersey City University, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. In a well-pitched game for both sides, there were a combined 11 hits between the two schools.

 

With the win, Ramapo improves to 12-9 and 1-4 in the NJAC, and snaps a four-game losing streak. The Gothic Knights (13-12, 1-3 NJAC), lose for only the second time at home this season (4-2) and drop their third straight game overall.

 

Sophomore right-hander Chris Stanisce (Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro) went the distance for RCNJ for his first win of the season (1-3). In a complete-game, 120-pitch effort, he allowed one earned run (two total) and five hits, with six strikeouts and four walks.

 

Sophomore right-hander AHSON SHAHID (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) was able to keep RCNJ off the board for most of the contest. In 6.2 innings, he allowed three earned runs (four total) and just six hits, with six strikeouts and six walks. Junior left-hander MIKE ESPIN (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) was solid in 2.1 innings of relief, fanning two while facing the minimum seven batters.

 

In a game mostly void of offense, freshman rightfielder Mike Stetsko (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) knocked in two RBIs and scored once for Ramapo in a 2-for-3 effort, with a triple. Freshman second baseman Gino Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) drove in the Roadrunners’ other two runs in a 1-for-4 showing with a triple. Sophomore centerfielder Nick Sbarra (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) scored twice in a 1-for-4 day.

 

Once again, the Knights were led by sophomore leftfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union), who collected his 14^th multiple-hit game of the season and conference-leading 32^nd run, while swiping two bases, bring his NJAC-best total to 23, tying him for eighth in swipes on NJCU’s single-season charts. He was 2-for-3 in the game with an inside-the-park homerun, his second round-tripper this year. He was NJCU’s only player with multiple hits.

 

NJCU opened a 1-0 lead in the first, when Sumner scorched a 1-1 pitch to right-center, and used his outstanding speed to easily beat the relay throw to the plate, for an inside-the-park homer.

 

With two outs in the top of the second and runners on the corners, Gallagher lifted a 2-2 pitch to center, for a two-RBI triple, which gave RCNJ a 2-1 lead it would not relinquish. With two gone in the third, Stetsko tripled to right-center, scoring Sbarra, who singled and stole second, for a 3-1 lead.

 

Sophomore catcher COREY SCHANEL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) had an RBI groundout in the fourth, closing the gap to 3-2. But, Stetsko’s sacrifice fly to right-center in the top of the fifth gave Ramapo back the run for a 4-2 advantage, and neither team would score again.

 

In a game in which Ramapo stranded nine runners and NJCU left on six, the Knights had AHSON SHAHID" src="/images/baseball/2006/4/6/03-31-06%20Ahson%20Shahid%2011.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>opportunities to score. In the third inning, NJCU had runners on second and third with one out, but could not plate a run. In the fifth inning, Sumner walked, and subsequently stole second and third with one out, but was stranded. And in the ninth inning, NJCU had runners on first and second with no outs after a walk and error. However, Stanisce fanned the next two batters, and RCNJ won the game on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play at third base.

 

Shahid was able to work out of trouble most of the game. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning unscathed, and stranded two runners in the third and seventh innings.

 

NJCU is back in action on Friday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m. against Montclair State University in Little Falls, NJ. RCNJ hosts Kean University on Friday at 3 p.m.