New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Senior centerfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union) returned to the lineup by going 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBIs, and junior centerfielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA)) added two runs and two RBIs as each player drilled a homerun and New Jersey City University scored in every inning en route to a 15-3 win over John Jay College, in a non-conference game at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

 

NJCU (9-13) scored four times in the first inning and four in the eighth, to cap the barrage. The Knights had 13 hits without committing an error and took advantage of eight walks by the John Jay (7-10) pitchers. NJCU has won seven consecutive meetings between the clubs since 2002.

 

Sumner, playing in his first game since March 15, returned in style. After entering as a pinch runner in the fifth inning, he scored three times to give him 150 career runs, extending his own program record. He had five total bases in the game to give him 250 for his career, 19 shy of the school record. Additionally, he smacked a three-run homer in the eighth inning, his third of the year and 13^th of his career, to tie Rick Pizzuti (1997-99) for second place in program history.

 

Hoyer hit one of the longest homeruns at the Gerrity Complex in years when his first-inning solo homer—and the John Jay centerfielder chasing the ball—cleared the 410-foot sign in deep center for MARK HOYER" src="/images/baseball/2008/4/1/03-24-08%20Mark%20Hoyer%201.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>his first round-tripper as a Knight. He went 2-for-6 with two runs, two RBIs, and a double.

 

Junior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NY/LaSalle Academy (NY)) and junior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) each contributed two RBIs. Freshman third baseman LEONARDO ACOSTA (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) scored three runs.

 

Sophomore designated hitter ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and sophomore rightfielder LEOMAR PAULINO (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) each were 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Senior shortstop JOSE FULGENCIO (Bronx, NY/San Rafael (Dominican Republic) had two runs scored and his 22^nd RBI in 22 games.

 

In defeat, the Bloodhounds received a two-run homerun from sophomore catcher Luis Guzman (Yonkers, NY/Mt. St. Michael’s).

 

Senior right-hander ANTHONY CACCHIOLA (Union, NJ/Union) was the winner (1-1). In 4.0 predetermined innings, he allowed only three hits and three runs with four strikeouts and five walks. Freshman lefty MATT D’AMORE (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) pitched two solid innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts. Sophomore righty JOSEPH OLMO (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), senior lefty GEORGE JESSEN (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) and junior righty STEVE HALLAM (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) no-hit the Bloodhounds over the final three innings, with each pitcher hurling one frame. Jessen posted two strikeouts in his one inning.

 

NJCU had nine batters come to the plate in the first inning. Hoyer led off with long solo homer to tie the game at 1-1. Mena followed with an RBI single, Colon added a sacrifice fly, and Brus singled for a 4-1 lead. Fulgencio grounded out to drive in a run in the second inning, and the Knights built a 7-1 lead with two runs in the third, including an RBI double by Hoyer.

 

John Jay cut it to 7-3 in the top of the fourth on Guzman’s two-run homer that cleared the 403 sign in deep right field.

 

But the Knights bounced back with eight unanswered runs. In the fourth, Colon posted an RBI single. In the fifth, Sumner entered as a pinch runner, used his speed to move from first to third on a two-out groundout and scored on an RBI single by Paulino. NJCU made it 10-3 in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Brus.

 

In the seventh inning, Sumner singled before scoring from first on an RBI double by freshman second baseman JONATHAN MARICHAL (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech). In the eighth inning, NJCU made it 12-3 on a sacrifice fly. Then, with two outs, after Fulgencio and Acosta led of the inning with walks, Sumner crushed a 3-2 pitch 390 feet over the fence for the final runs, making it 15-3, in his impressive return to the lineup.

 

John Jay sophomore starter Marcos Almanzar (Brooklyn, NY/Telecommunications) suffered the loss for JJC (1-3), giving up 10 runs and 10 hits in 6.0 innings.

 

NJCU is back in action on Thursday, April 3 at 3:30 p.m. when the Knights host a solid Manhattanville College squad in a non-conference game at the Gerrity Complex. JJC next plays tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Polytechnic University.