New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

AUBURNDALE, FL…Freshman left fielder ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and sophomore third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant Beach) added a pair of runs in a 2-for-2 showing as New Jersey City University scored five times in the third inning and continued its hot start to the 2009 season, downing St. Vincent College (Pa.), 7-4, on March 7 at the Central Florida/Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational at Lake Myrtle Field #2.

 

NJCU improved to 4-1-1 with the win and now has its best six-game start to a season since going 6-0 in 1981; the Knights were also 4-1 after five games in 2002.  St. Vincent fell to 0-8. It was the first meeting between the schools in baseball.

 

Also for NJCU, sophomore shortstop TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run and freshman first baseman JOE STEINBERGER (San Diego, CA/San Diego) was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

 

Junior left-hander CHRIS SMITH (Linden, NJ/Rahway) earned the win (1-0). In 5.1 innings, he allowed only four runs and seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Senior righty STEVE HALLAM (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) was near flawless in 2.2 innings of relief, allowing a lone hit and one walk. Junior closer JOSEPH TARALLO (South Amboy, NJ/Hoffman) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a strikeout for his third save in as many chances.

 

Offensively for St. Vincent, sophomore designated hitter Mike Christiansen (McKees Rocks, PA/Our Lady of Sacred Heart) was 3-for-3. Senior right fielder Kenny Primeaux (Baltimore, MD/Perry Hall) was 2-for-4. Sophomore pinch hitter Dustin Lousseddes (LaGrangeville, NY/Arlington) had two RBIs.

 

Senior right-hander Rob Patula (Mount Pleasant, PA/Mount Pleasant) took the loss (0-1). In 4.0 innings for the Bearcats, he allowed six runs—one of which was earned—and four hits. He fanned seven but walked five.

 

NJCU, the visiting team in the neutral site contest, opened the scoring in the top of the first. Fiorentino singled, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on another wild pitch.

 

NJCU collected five runs in the third as 11 men came to the plate, and NJCU seized a 6-0 lead. Junior right fielder EDDIE GONZALO (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) struck out but got an extra life, reaching on a passed ball. Gonzalez singled and Fiorentino was hit by a pitch and the Knights had the bases loaded with two outs. Burke then knocked in a pair with a two-RBI single to right, and Fiorentino came home with a third run in the inning when the ball was misplayed on two errors. NJCU forced four consecutive walks, the third and fourth by Steinberger and Gonzalo with the bases loaded, that each forced in a run for the 6-0 margin.

 

St. Vincent got a run back in the third on an RBI single by Christiansen. The Bearcats made it interesting with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Senior shortstop Michael Adam (Wadsworth, OH/Wadsworth) led off with a solo homerun and Lousseddes had a one-out, two-run pinch hit single. Hallam then entered for Smith and stopped the threat when he coerced an inning-ending double play on a ground ball back to the mound.

 

The NJCU bullpen did its job, allowing just one base runner in the final three innings. Gonzalez, who led off the ninth with a single, scored the Knights' final run when he came in on a double play grounder.