New Jersey City University Athletics

POMONA, NJ…Senior shortstop JOSE FULGENCIO (Bronx, NY/San Rafael (Dominican Republic) was 3-for-5 with four runs and three RBIs in game one, finishing with five RBIs and five runs in two games, and senior right-hander BALDWIN VARGAS (New York, NY/Alfred Smith) struck out six over six innings of relief in both games as New Jersey City University split a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with Richard Stockton College on Saturday, winning game one, 11-7, before falling in 10 innings in game two, 5-4. Fulgencio now has 21 RBIs in the first 21 games of the season.

 

NJCU is 8-13 overall and 1-3 in the NJAC while Stockton is 13-5 and 1-2 in the league. NJCU outhit the Ospreys in each game, finishing with a combined 26 in two games.

 

Sophomore designated hitter ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was a combined 5-for-9 in both games while senior centerfielder ANTHONY MACKOW (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) added three hits in the twinbill, giving him 99 for his career—one shy of becoming the 27^th member of the 100-hit club.

 

*********GAME 1: New Jersey City University 11, Richard Stockton College 7*********

BALDWIN VARGAS" src="/images/baseball/2008/3/30/3-13-07%20Baldwin%20Vargas%206.JPG" width=150 align=left border=0>In the opener, NJCU scored five times in the first inning and twice in the second to vault in front 7-1. Stockton closed within 7-6 following the fifth inning. But Vargas, who was drafted last year by the Chicago White Sox, before returning for his senior campaign, entered in the sixth inning and pitched four brilliant innings of relief to earn the save. In 4.0 innings, he allowed one earned run against five hits, striking out five while walking just one.

 

Overall, NJCU cracked 17 hits, led by Fulgencio, who was 3-for-5 with four runs, three RBIs and a triple. Junior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial), who entered the game with just four RBIs in his first 13 games, doubled that output as he slammed four RBIs, going 2-for-5. Mena was 4-for-5 with a run and RBI.

 

Junior centerfielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA)) scored twice, going 2-for-6 with two doubles. Also for the Gothic Knights, freshman third baseman LEONARDO ACOSTA (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) was 2-for-5 with two runs and junior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NY/LaSalle Academy (NY)) was 2-for-2.

 

Stockton had 12 hits and was paced by senior catcher Joe Sacerdote (Deptford, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) who was 3-for-5. Senior shortstop Pat Goodwin (Mays Landing, NJ/Holy Spirit) scored three times in a 2-for-3 showing. Junior first baseman Scott Fisher (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) added two RBIs in a 2-for-5 day. Junior designated hitter Joe Santillo (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) had two RBIs.

 

Junior righty STEVE HALLAM (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) was the winner in relief. In 1.0 innings he allowed one run and three hits with a K, improving to 2-3. Freshman righty WESTLEY LOPEZ (West New York, NJ/Memorial) started, but received a no-decision. In 4.0 innings, he was charged with four hits, four earned runs and two walks. Sophomore Matt Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph’s) lost for Stockton (2-1). In 1.1 innings, he gave up seven runs and eight hits.

 

In the first inning, Hoyer doubled and scored on a Fulgencio RBI single. Acosta and Mena followed with singles sandwiched around a Colon walk, with Fulgencio scoring on the latter hit, before another single by Brus scored Acosta and Colon for a 4-0 lead. Mackow’s 97^th hit drove in Mena. Goodwin homed with one out in the first for a 5-1 margin.

 

NJCU scored two more times in the second inning on an RBI triple by Fulgencio, before scoring himself on a single by Colon. Stockton added a single run in the bottom of the frame.

 

The Ospreys drew closer with two runs in the fourth and fifth. Santillo had a two-run double in the fourth. RBI singles by Fisher and junior third baseman Jeff Lundell (Henderson, NV/Kentridge (WA) closed the gap to 7-6, before Vargas came in to start the sixth inning and slammed the door behind him.

 

NJCU added breathing room in the top of the sixth. Hoyer led off with a double and scored on a Fulgencio RBI single. After Acosta reached on an error, Brus knocked in Fulgencio and Acosta with a two-run single to make it 10-6. The Knights added a single run in the eighth on an error. RSC scored once in the ninth for the final score, 11-7.

 

*******GAME 2: Richard Stockton College 5, New Jersey City University 4 (10 innings)*******

In the nightcap, NJCU scored three times in the top of the eighth to gain a 4-2 lead before the Ospreys tied it in the bottom of the frame, as the game went to extra innings. In the bottom of the 10^th, Goodwin walked, stole second, and scored on a walkoff RBI double by Fisher.

 

Mackow was 2-for-4 with two runs and his second homerun of the season for NJCU, while freshman second baseman JONATHAN MARICHAL (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) was 2-for-4. Fulgencio notched two RBIs, while posting his eighth double of the year and the 22^nd double of his two-year NJCU career—just seven shy of equaling the program’s career record.

 

Fisher was 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Ospreys while sophomore second baseman Matt Allen (Salem, NJ/Woodstown) was 2-for-5. Goodwin scored twice.

 

In defeat, sophomore lefty CHRIS SMITH (Linden, NJ/Rahway) posted a solid 7.0 innings in his fifth start of the year. He allowed only five hits and three runs, with three strikeouts and two walks.

 

Sophomore righty Joe Mihalyi (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) was equally as good for Stockton. In 7.2 innings, he allowed three runs (one earned), seven hits and K’d four without a walk. Sophomore righty John O’Hara (Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) collected the win in relief for RSC (1-0). In 2.1 innings, he allowed one runs (none earned) and two hits, walking two with one strikeout.

 

Hallam allowed one run on two hits without recording an out, before Vargas closed out the eighth and ninth innings, fanning one, walking one, while keeping the Ospreys hitless. Sophomore righty STEVE HERNANDEZ (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) pitched the 10^th inning, losing for the first time (0-1).

Stockton struck first, scoring twice in the second inning. Sacerdote walked, advanced to third on a single and stole home. RSC added a second run on a sac bunt. NJCU made it 2-1 in the sixth when Mackow drilled a one-out homer.

 

The Knights scored three in the eighth inning for a 4-2 lead. After a two-out error extended the inning, Fulgencio capitalized with a two-RBI double, before coming home on a wild pitch. But Stockton tied it in the eighth inning on a two-run single by Fisher, leading up the Stockton’s run in the 10^th.

 

NJCU is back in action on Tuesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. when the Knights host John Jay College in a non-conference game at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.