New Jersey City University Athletics

NJCU, playing its final home games of the season, improves to 12-26 and 4-14 NJAC, after losing its last three games by a combined four runs. The win means NJCU finished ninth in the league standings while Camden (9-27, 2-16 NJAC) placed 10^th. NJCU hit two homers in the doubleheader, increasing its total to 21—third highest in the history of the program.

 

Vargas, a 43^rd round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2007 and the only NJAC player to be drafted, came back for his senior season and finished off his home career by striking out 14 of the 28 batters he faced. The 14 strikeouts are the most ever by an NJCU pitcher against an NJAC opponent and the second most in a game in the 61-year history of the program. Only Harry Durkee with 17 strikeouts against Jersey City Junior College in 1949 has more strikeouts in an outing.

 

In game two, sophomore catcher ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had a career day driving in seven RBIs, going 4-for-5 with two runs.

 

Senior centerfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union) was a combined 5-for-9 with three runs. He broke his fifth and sixth career program records by playing in his 136^th game while starting for the TOM BURKE" src="/images/baseball/2008/4/27/03-24-08%20Tom%20Burke%2010.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>134^th time, snapping the marks of 134 and 133 by Nick Cucinello (1990-93). He also batted for the 500^th time in his career and now with 508 needs two more to break yet another career mark. He has 195 career hits, giving him a chance for 200 with two games remaining.

 

Meanwhile, on Senior Day at NJCU, freshman shortstop TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata) continued to demonstrate why he is the future of the program, combining to go 6-for-7 with five RBIs, two runs, two doubles and his third homer of the season. He had six consecutive hits before being retired in his final at bat of game two.

 

***********GAME 1: New Jersey City University 9, Rutgers-Camden 6 ***********

In game one, Camden scored four times in the top of the third to snap a 1-1 tie, but NJCU immediately answered with five in the bottom of the frame for a 6-5 margin, before adding one in the fourth and two in the sixth, prevailing 9-6, as the Knights outhit the Raptors, 16-9.

 

In perhaps his final appearance for NJCU, senior right-hander ANTHONY CACCHIOLA (Union, NJ/Union), last week’s NJAC Pitcher of the Week, fired a complete-game for his third win (3-3). In 9.0 innings, he struck out eight, walked five, and allowed only four earned runs and nine hits.

 

Burke led NJCU with a 4-for-4 effort, driving in two runs while sophomore leftfielder JOSUE MARTINEZ (Bronx, NY/Walton (NY)) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Junior designated hitter MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA)) contributed a 2-for-5 showing with two RBIs.

 

Junior KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) played his first two games of the year at third base and became the ninth NJCU player this season with a homer when the Knights’ regular catcher rounded the bases for an inside-the-parker. He was 2-for-5 with two runs overall.

Also for NJCU, Sumner was 2-for-4 while senior second baseman ANDREW DECIBUS (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) scored twice.

 

Camden received a 1-for-4 game with three RBIs and two runs from junior designated hitter Matt Gabrielski (Atco, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton). Sophomore centerfielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI) was 3-for-4 and sophomore leftfielder Zack Colgate (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) was 2-for-4.

 

After Camden junior left-hander Damien Wright (Millville, NJ/Millville) struck out six but allowed nine runs in taking the loss (2-7), the Raptors got a nice bullpen stint from senior righty Angelo Marchiano (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) who struck out three and allowed four hits in 3.0 innings of work.

 

After Camden scored first on a wild pitch, Brus led off the bottom of the second with an inside-the-park shot that rolled all the way to the left-center gap more than 400 feet away. Camden’s four-run third inning, highlighted by a three-run triple by Gabrielski, made it 5-1.

 

But NJCU sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the third and scored four runs with two outs. Hoyer’s groundout drove in Sumner. With the bases empty, Brus and Martinez singled, Mena was hit by a pitch and junior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NY/LaSalle Academy (NY)) walked for an RBI. A failed pickoff attempt at second base broke down and a heads-up Martinez raced home from third with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to 5-4. Burke took advantage of Camden’s mental mistake with a two-run double down the leftfield line that made it 6-5.

 

In the fourth, a two-out RBI single by Martinez drove in the eventual winning run. An RBI single by sophomore first baseman Dan Stuhlemmer (Collingswood, NJ/Camden Catholic) made it 7-6 in the fifth. But NJCU tacked on two more runs in the sixth on a Hoyer RBI double and another key RBI single by Martinez.

 

***********GAME 2: New Jersey City University 15, Rutgers-Camden 2 ***********

In a historic performance by Vargas, he struck out 14 and the first eight outs of the game were all Ks, ALEX MENA" src="/images/baseball/2008/4/27/03-24-08%20Alex%20Mena%202.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>including the side in order in the first. In 7.0 innings, he allowed one run and four hits with three walks.

Mena drove in a team season-high seven runs, going 4-for-5 with two triples and a double. Burke was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs while Sumner was 3-for-5 with two runs, a double and triple.

 

Decibus tacked on a 2-for-5 effort with two runs. Brus scored three times, while Hoyer and Martinez crossed the plate twice. NJCU outhit Camden, 16-6. Gabrielski was the lone Raptor with multiple hits, going 2-for-3.

 

While Vargas (1-4) was sensational, the NJCU offense did its part by scoring in every inning other than the fourth and eighth. The Knights had four triples and five doubles in the game.

 

In the first, an RBI triple by Decibus and Hoyer RBI groundout made it 2-0. Senior rightfielder

ANTHONY MACKOW (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) provided the eventual winning run with a second inning RBI single before NJCU spread the lead to 7-0 with four runs in the third. Mena had a two-run double down the leftfield line and Burke crushed a 1-0 pitch to left for his third homer of the season.

 

After Colgate had a sac fly in the fifth, NJCU answered with seven more runs for a 14-1 lead. The Knights scored three in the fifth when Mena launched a two-RBI triple to right-center before Burke’s consecutive hits string ended with an RBI sac fly. NJCU scored four in the sixth on a bases loaded walk by Martinez that was followed with a three-run triple down the leftfield line by Mena.

 

Freshman DOM GHIONE (Lyndhurst, NJ/Queen of Peace) had his first career RBI with a seventh inning double that extended the lead to 15-1. Camden had a sac fly in the ninth.

 

Senior lefty GEORGE JESSEN (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) and senior righty AHSON SHAHID (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) each pitched one inning to wrap up the game.

 

On Senior Day at NJCU, the Knights honored their nine seniors—Cacchiola, Decibus, #JOSE FULGENCIO# (Bronx, NY), Jessen, Mackow, Shahid, JOSE SOTOMAYOR (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln), Sumner and Vargas.

 

NJCU will conclude the 2008 season on Friday, May 2 at 5 p.m. with a non-conference doubleheader at the College of Staten Island. Camden concludes its year on April 29 at Gwynedd-Mercy.