New Jersey City University Athletics

STATEN ISLAND, NY… Senior shortstop JOSE FULGENCIO (Bronx, NY/San Rafael (Dominican Republic) was a combined 6-for-8 in two games to extend his two-year active school and New Jersey Athletic Conference record hitting streak to 39 consecutive games—the longest known active string in NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA baseball, reaching base for the 49th consecutive game to open his NJCU career, and senior right-hander JOSE SOTOMAYOR (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) fired a four-hit complete game shutout in the nightcap, as the Gothic Knights opened the northern portion of their schedule by splitting a doubleheader with the College of Staten Island on Saturday. In a pair of seven-inning contests, the Dolphins won game one in nine innings, 5-4, before NJCU blanked CSI in game two, 4-0.

 

By winning game two, NJCU (4-8) snapped a six-game losing streak, where it had also lost eight of nine games. CSI is 2-6 overall. The game one loss was the fifth straight game NJCU had lost by three or fewer runs and the fourth time the Knights had lost while outhitting an opponent. NJCU had nine hits in each game, combining for an 18-10 advantage in the doubleheader.

 

Fulgencio, now hitting .479 in 12 games this year (23-48), now has hits in 48 of 49 career games.

 

******************GAME 1: Staten Island 5, New Jersey City University 4******************

 

Trailing 4-1 after four innings, NJCU scored twice in the fifth inning and once in the top of the sixth to tie game and force extra innings. But after a scoreless eighth inning, the Dolphins won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Senior Mo Homad (Staten Island, NY/Wagner) drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and the Dolphins were intentionally walked with one out. Junior designated hitter Joel Pratts (Brooklyn, NY/Telecommunications) forced the bases loaded with a walk. Junior catcher Michael Madalone (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter’s) lifted a ball to left field which was dropped, giving CSI an unearned run and the win.

 

Offensively for NJCU, Fulgencio was 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI, while sophomore second baseman JOSUE MARTINEZ (Bronx, NY/Walton (NY), who only played in four games on the Florida spring trip with an injury, was 2-for-4. Pratts was the only other player for either school with multiple hits.

 

Senior right-hander ANTHONY CACCHIOLA (Union, NJ/Union) lasted 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs and only five hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. Junior righty STEVE HALLAM (Harrison, NJ/Harrison), pitched well in 2.2 innings of relief, allowing only one hit without an earned runs, walking only one. However, he took the loss after the ninth inning error. Sophomore closer ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was on the mound at the end of the game. Freshman lefty James Mardikos (Staten Island, NY/Petrides) earned the win, going 4.0 innings in relief, allowing just two hits, with a walk and a strikeout.

 

NJCU scored first in the first inning when Fulgencio doubled to extend his streak and scored on a double by Mena, who started as the designated hitter. CSI scored twice in the bottom of the inning, on an RBI double by Pratts and an infield error.

 

CSI scored two more times in the fourth to gain a 4-1 lead, on an infield groundout and another infield error. Fulgencio had an RBI single in the top of the fifth, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored when the catcher couldn’t handle the throw on the swipe. NJCU tied the game in the sixth when junior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) had an RBI single.

 

******************GAME 2: New Jersey City University 4, Staten Island 0******************

In game two, NJCU scored twice in the top of the second inning, and that was all Sotomayor needed JOSE SOTOMAYOR" src="/images/baseball/2008/3/15/03-11-08%20Jose%20Sotomayor%201.jpg" width=300 align=left border=0>as he sank the Dolphins with a seven-inning complete game, allowing only four singles, with four strikeouts and three walks. CSI stranded two runners in each of the first two innings, but never threatened again the remainder of the game. It was the first complete-game shutout by an NJCU pitcher since current senior AHSON SHAHID (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) did so on March 26, 2006 against Baruch College.

 

Offensively, it was a pair of nephews of former major leaguers that led the Gothic Knights. Fulgencio, the nephew of former New York Met and Yankee Rafael Santana went 3-for-4 with one RBI and his sixth double, while freshman JONATHAN MARICHAL (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech), whose uncle is Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, made the most of his second career start by going 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

 

Junior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NY/LaSalle Academy (NY)) broke out of a slump by finishing 2-for-3 with a run.

 

In the second inning, Colon led off with a single and moved to third on a double by sophomore rightfielder LEOMAR PAULINO (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech).  Both runners moved up one base on a wild pitch, and freshman third baseman TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata) drove in Paulino with a groundout.

 

In the fifth inning, senior centerfielder ANTHONY MACKOW (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had a one-out triple and scored on a single by Marichal. NJCU tacked on its final run in the seventh when Fulgencio singled to score Marichal, who had walked.

 

CSI senior righty Eric Waldhelm (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) took the loss, allowing three earned runs and seven hits with three strikeouts.

 

NJCU is back in action on Sunday, March 16 at 12 p.m. in a doubleheader at Farmingdale State University.