New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…In a game where there was so much offense in 4:09 that were wasn’t enough daylight to support even eight innings, Montclair State University jumped out to a 19-5 lead and held on as New Jersey City University’s bats wouldn’t go away, as the Red Hawks outlasted NJCU, 26-16, in a marathon New Jersey Athletic Conference game on Thursday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The game was called due to darkness with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

 

The 42 combined runs between the teams were the most in a game involving NJCU in the 61-year history of the program, breaking the mark of 40 in a 32-8 loss to William Paterson University on April 26, 2001.

 

The win was the 1,400^th in the 76-year history of the Montclair program (1400-727-26) and gave MSU head coach Norm Schoenig his 599^th career win. The Red Hawks, who had 21 hits overall, improved to 16-11 overall and 8-3 in the NJAC while the Gothic Knights (9-22, 1-10 NJAC), who led 4-0 early and collected 18 hits, but committed nine errors, dropped their ninth straight.

 

There were a combined 20 runs scored in the fourth inning—12 by Montclair and eight by NJCU. The Hawks sent 17 batters to the plate in the top of the inning while the Knights sent 14 to the plate in the bottom of the frame.

 

NJCU’s 16 runs and 18 hits were both season highs while the nine errors matched the most since committing nine in a loss to Thiel College on March 5, 2005. The 26 runs were the most allowed by the Knights since a 28-3 loss to Montclair in Jersey City on April 3, 2003. The 42 runs were the most combined runs since a 21-17 setback to Suffolk University on March 15, 2007 (38 runs).

 

In a game where 17 different players had at least one hit, 14 had multiple hits, and 19 posted an RBI, it was NJCU sophomore designated hitter ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) with the most impressive offensive day, going 3-for-6 with five RBIs, two runs, a double and triple.

 

MSU graduate student rightfielder Rob Bowness (Sparta, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), one of eight Red Hawks among 17 position players who logged time that had multiple hits, finished going 4-for-4 with four runs, three RBIs and a triple.

 

Junior third baseman Stephen Piscitello (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) scored four times, going 3-for-5 with two runs and junior leftfielder Ed Kloepping (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville) was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs. Senior centerfielder Michael Nunez (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) and sophomore second baseman Andrew Himmelfarb (Nyack, NJ/Nyack) each finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs while freshman Jay Bionde (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) came off the bench to provide three RBIs in a 2-for-3 showing.

 

Senior first baseman Lou Politan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) and senior catcher Jeff Miller (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) each contributed two hits.

 

ROB SUMNER" src="/images/baseball/2008/4/17/3-13-07%20Rob%20Sumner%2023.JPG" width=150 align=left border=0>NJCU senior centerfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union) used his speed to generate a two-run inside-the-park homerun in the fourth that ignited NJCU’s eight-run inning. The round-tripper was his fourth of the year and the 14^th of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place in school history and gave him 99 career RBIs, one shy of becoming the second player in school history to reach the century mark.

 

Sumner, already NJCU’s all-time leader in hits (181), runs (157) and steals (93), and closing in on the marks for games played and started, is on the verge of yet another all-time mark. He now had 267 total bases—two shy of the mark of 269 by Hall-of-Famer Rich Levens (1986-88).

 

Also for NJCU, senior second baseman ANDREW DECIBUS (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) went 3-for-5 with three runs and junior leftfielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA)) was 3-for-6 with three runs.

 

Junior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) notched three RBIs, going 2-for-5. Sophomore third baseman LEOMAR PAULINO (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) added a 2-for-5 effort and senior rightfielder ANTHONY MACKOW (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) scored twice.

 

Four MSU pitchers allowed 14 earned runs, but freshman right-hander Kevin Wieme (Bayville, NJ/Paramus), who pitched the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, was credited with his first career decision (1-0), allowing three runs and four hits in 3.0 innings. NJCU sophomore lefty CHRIS SMITH (Linden, NJ/Rahway) took the loss (1-5), tossing the first 3.0 innings, allowing six earned runs. In all, NJCU used six pitchers, but only 11 of the 26 runs were earned.

 

NJCU is back in action on Friday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts defending Division III national champion Kean University. Montclair hosts William Paterson University at the same time.