New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

GAME NOTES/PROGRAM

ARCHIVED VIDEO BROADCAST

JERSEY CITY, NJ…William Paterson University scored twice in the sixth inning to tie the game before plating three more runs in the seventh and scored seven unanswered runs after New Jersey City University had built a 4-1 lead, as the Pioneers overcame the Gothic Knights, 8-4, in the 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools, played Friday at NJCU's Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. 

 

WPU improves to 8-7 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC; the Gothic Knights are 8-11-1 and 0-1 in the league. It marked the eighth time this season NJCU has lost a game by four or fewer runs. The two clubs each had 13 hits. The Pioneers stranded 14 runners on base; NJCU left 11.

 

Three NJCU players had multiple hits and four combined for 11 of the 13 hits. Senior second baseman JORGE PARDO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) paced NJCU with three RBIs in a 3-for-4 effort.

 

Also for NJCU, senior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) was 3-for-4 with two runs and junior right fielder CHRIS SMITH (Linden, NJ/Rahway) went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Rookie left fielder ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) added a 3-for-5 showing.

 

WPU senior designated hitter Derek Koppinger (Columbia, NJ/North Warren Regional) led off and was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three walks, and a run scored while junior right fielder Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, NJ/Northern Highlands) went 3-for-6 with one run and an RBI single in the sixth inning that tied the game.

 

Junior first baseman Marc Palestina (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) chipped in a 2-for-4 effort with a run and RBI and senior centerfielder John Elia (Emerson, NJ/Pascack Valley) finished with two RBIs (1-for-6). Senior third baseman Will Courter (Roseland, NJ/West Essex) provided a 2-for-5 day.

 

Junior right-hander Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) threw 128 pitches in 7.0 innings to earn the win and improve to 3-1. He allowed four runs and 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks, but no runs after the fourth inning. Freshman righty J.J. Moran (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) tossed two innings of relief, allowing three hits with one K.

NJCU sophomore right-hander JEFF KARCZEWSKI (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) pitched solidly at home yet again, but took a no decision. In 5.2 innings, he allowed just two earned runs (four overall) and eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks over 107 pitches.

 

Freshman righty RANDY PARISH (Rahway, NJ/Central (Brooksville, FL)) did not allow a hit in 0.2 innings of relief, but the one batter he walked scored the fifth run of the game, and he suffered his first collegiate decision (0-1). Freshman righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City) was the fifth pitcher for NJCU. He struck out two in the ninth inning, allowing just one walk.

 

NJCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With two outs, Brus and Smith both singled and scored when Pardo drove the first pitch he saw in the game to deep centerfield for a two-run double. Koppinger walked in the third and eventually scored an unearned run on a groundout by Elia after an NJCU error extended the inning. It was 2-1.

 

The Knights tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning—again with two outs on the board. Brus blooped a single down the right field line and scored on an RBI single to center by Smith. It became 4-1 when Pardo singled to center to bring home Smith.

 

In the fifth inning Guadango singled with one out before scoring when Smith misplayed a single by Courter in right field.

 

In the sixth, Palestina singled with two outs and scored on an RBI triple by freshman second baseman Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) before coming around to tie the game on an RBI single by Guadango. Parish came in and stranded two Pioneers on the bags to keep the game tied at 4-4.

 

With one out in the seventh, sophomore left fielder Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) walked and stole second. NJCU brought in two more relievers but the Pioneers pieced together two hits in the frame. With the bases load, WPU saw Palestina drop down a bunt squeeze play and Brus tried to grab the ball and tag out Moran, but the Pioneers slid around the catcher and scored for a 5-4 lead. With two outs, Koppinger broke it open with a two-run single up the middle for a 7-4 lead.

 

Elia added an RBI single in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-4 after Courter led off with a triple. NJCU had back-to-back singles in the ninth inning but couldn't score again.

 

NJCU will host Richard Stockton College on Saturday, March 28 at 12 p.m. in an NJAC doubleheader and WPU welcomes Ramapo College to Wayne, NJ at the same time.