New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

WINTER HAVEN, FL…New Jersey City University suffered its first loss in Florida, and it took just a one inning lapse. The Gothic Knights outhit Cazenovia College, 12-9 but the Wildcats scored six times in the third inning and took advantage of five NJCU errors, holding on for an 8-5 victory on March 8 at the Central Florida/Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational at Chain of Lakes Park Field #4.

 

NJCU suffered its first loss since splitting a season-opening doubleheader at Farmingdale State College on February 21, dropping to 4-2-1. Cazenovia (1-0) was playing its 2009 season opener.

 

In defeat, NJCU had four players with multiple hits, led by sophomore shortstop TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata), who was 2-for-4 with three runs and a double. Senior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) drove in two RBIs, walked twice, and was 2-for-3 with a run.

 

Senior center fielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA) and junior designated hitter ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) were each 2-for-4; Mena had two late RBIs.

 

Senior third baseman/pitcher Chad Salls (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls), an Honorable Mention All-America pick in 2008, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run while juniors second baseman Brandon Goodman (Clinton, NY/New Hartford) had two runs and two RBIs. Senior first baseman Cory Schad (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

 

Junior right-hander Tim Nye (Chesterfield, MA/Hampshire Regional) earned the win (1-0). In 6.0 innings, he allowed one run and six hits, walked five and fanned two, before NJCU attacked the Wildcat bullpen with four runs in the final three innings in an attempt to rally.

 

Sophomore right-hander WESTLEY LOPEZ (West New York, NJ/Memorial) took the loss (0-1). In 5.0 innings, he was charged with five earned runs and eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

 

Freshman righty RANDY PARISH (Rahway, NJ/Central (Brooksville, FL)) was impressive in the first extended outing of his career. In 4.0 innings of relief, he allowed only one hit and one unearned run, with two K's and no walks.

 

 

The Wildcats scored six times on six hits, aided by two NJCU errors in the third when nine batters came up. A leadoff error followed by two singles brought Goodman to the plate and he planted a two-run single into right field. Salls had an RBI single for a 3-0 lead before a fielding error allowed a fourth run to come home. Schad tallied a two-RBI single for a 6-0 lead.

 

NJCU, which stranded 13 runners on base in the game, left the bases loaded in the third inning. In the fifth, NJCU was picked off for the second out of the inning, before Burke doubled and scored on an RBI single by Brus. Cazenovia had an RBI groundout in the sixth for a 7-1 advantage and Salls had an RBI single in the seventh for an 8-1 margin.

 

Sophomore third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant) led off the seventh with a double and scored on an RBI single by Brus. Burke, who had singled after the double, came in on an RBI single by senior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NJ/LaSalle Academy (NY)). But Salls, who moved from third base to pitch in relief, struck out consecutive NJCU batters and the Knights left two men on base, trailing 8-3.

 

In the ninth, Burke and Brus walked and both scored on a one-out, two-run double by Mena, before two groundouts ended the game and NJCU fell by three runs, 8-5.