New Jersey City University Athletics

 

LITTLE FALLS, NJ…New Jersey City University junior shortstop JOSE FULGENCIO (Bronx, NY/San Rafael, Dominican Republic) broke the school record by extending his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games, but it wasn’t enough as the Gothic Knights fell to Montclair State University, 8-1, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at Yogi Berra Stadium.

 

MSU, fourth in the league standings, improves to 18-15, 10-5 in the NJAC, while the Gothic Knights fall to 15-19 and 3-12. MSU swept the season series from NJCU, also winning on April 6.

 

Fulgencio entered the day tied with Don Nelson at 23 games for the longest hitting streak in school history. Ironically, Nelson’s streak in 2001 was snapped by MSU. However, Fulgencio went 2-for-4 in defeat, with his 56^th hit of the season to establish his place in Gothic Knight history.

 

Also for NJCU, junior third baseman RYAN PELT (Branchville, NJ/High Point) was 2-for-3 with one run.

 

NJCU led 1-0 after three innings, but the Red Hawks got all of their offense over the next five innings, including three markers in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good. The Hawks added single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings, with two in the seventh.

 

For MSU, junior first baseman Lou Politan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while senior leftfielder Jeff Miller (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two steals.

 

Senior designated hitter Rob Bowness (Sparta, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Junior third baseman Rob Clark (Livingston, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) was 2-for-3. Sophomore Ed Kloepping (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville) was 2-for-2 with a double off the bench.

Junior right-hander Jairo Mendez (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) evened his record at 3-3 this season as he allowed just five hits, striking out three with no walks.

 

NJCU scored its run in the third when Pelt and senior leftfielder MATT CARAVANO (Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) both singled and moved up a base on a sacrifice by senior centerfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union). Junior second baseman ANDREW DECIBUS (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) had a sacrifice fly to drive in Pelt.

 

With two outs in the fourth, Politan lined a two-run double to left center to score senior catcher Andrew Vicaro (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) and Bowness with the eventual winning runs. Politan advanced on an error and scored on a passed ball.

Miller had an RBI single in the fifth and Clark added one of his own in the sixth as MSU widened its lead to 5-1. Montclair collected two more runs in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Miller and sacrifice fly by Vicaro, before capping the scoring with an eighth inning sac fly.

 

NJCU junior right-hander BALDWIN VARGAS (New York, NY/Alfred Smith) took the loss (3-5), allowing six earned runs and 11 hits in seven innings. He struck out two and walked one.

 

NJCU will return to action on Friday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts #5 ranked and first-place Kean University on senior day at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.