New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

STATEN ISLAND, NY…Sophomore third baseman JEFF KARCZEWSKI (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and freshman centerfielder ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 3-for-6 with a run as New Jersey City University broke open a 1-1 game with four runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to seize an 11-1 lead, before downing the College of Staten Island, 11-4, in game one of the 2009 Bayonne Bridge Series at the CSI Baseball Complex. NJCU pitching stranded a staggering 17 CSI base runners in nine innings.

 

NJCU (11-12-1) and Staten Island (9-7) have now played 32 times in their histories since 1978 and the all-time series is knotted at 16-16. NJCU has won five of the last six meetings.

 

Also for NJCU, sophomore second baseman/shortstop MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant) was 2-for-4 and senior left fielder JORGE PARDO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) blasted his third homerun of the season, finishing with two RBIs.

 

Sophomore designated hitter DOM GHIONE (Lyndhurst, NJ/Queen of Peace) had two RBIs; freshman right fielder JOE STEINBERGER (San Diego, CA/San Diego) and senior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NJ/LaSalle Academy (NY)) each scored twice.

 

Sophomore shortstop Marc Glennerster (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) and junior leftfielder Tom DiPietro (Staten Island, NY/Wagner) each had two hits but were the only Dolphins with more than one. Freshman third baseman Anthony Fortunato (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) had two RBIs. Dolphin junior third/second baseman Devon DiCasoli (Staten Island, NY/Moore) walked four times.

 

Sophomore right-hander WESTLEY LOPEZ (West New York, NJ/Memorial) pitched well in 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and just one run with three walks and a strikeout but received a no decision.

 

Freshman righty RANDY PARISH (Rahway, NJ/Central (Brooksville, FL)) earned his first collegiate win in relief (1-1). In 1.2 innings, he allowed no runs and two hits with a K and two walks.

 

NJCU's bullpen was mostly solid. Junior closer JOSEPH TARALLO (South Amboy, NJ/Hoffman) got in some work with two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, and sophomore shortstop TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata) later came on to toss one inning, with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman righty THOMAS VERMAZEN (San Diego, CA/Point Loma) pitched the ninth inning, allowing two hits and three runs with a strikeout and two walks before closing the door.

 

CSI used four pitchers. Freshman Casey Mulligan (Staten Island, NY/Farrell) took the loss (0-1), allowing six runs (one earned) with four hits, four strikeouts and five walks in 4.2 innings. The two schools combined to commit seven errors; CSI had three.

 

Karczewski, usually a starting pitcher, got the start at third, and provided an RBI single in the second inning to score Colon, who walked. CSI tied it in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by DiPietro.

 

Nine men came to the plate in the fourth as NJCU scored four times on three hits. A CSI error allowed a run to score and extended the inning and the Knights capitalized. An RBI groundout by Karczewski put NJCU in front for good, 2-1, before Pardo slammed a two-out, two-run homer to left. NJCU led 5-1.

 

Karczewski had another RBI single in the fifth and NJCU led 6-1. In the sixth, junior catcher ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had an RBI single to score Gonzalez who led off with a single and stole second. Burke, who walked, scored on an error. Ghione ripped a two-RBI single to center and the lead swelled to 10-1.

 

Meanwhile, Parish bended, but did not break in the fourth and fifth innings. In each inning, CSI loaded the bases, and each time the Dolphins threatened, Parish frustrated the opposition, as CSI did not score while leaving the bases full in each inning.

 

NJCU added a single run on a sacrifice fly in the eight. CSI scored twice in the bottom of the ninth on a pair of triples, including a two-run triple by Fortunato.