New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

UNION, NJ…Defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Kean University scored three times in the bottom of the fourth inning to break open a 5-3 contest as the nationally ranked Cougars defeated New Jersey City University, 8-4, in an NJAC game on Sunday at Jim Hynes `62 Stadium.

Kean, which is ranked #5 nationally in the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Poll and #12 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association/D3Baseball.com Division III poll, won its third consecutive game to maintain first place in the conference with a 20-6 record (6-2 NJAC). The Gothic Knights suffered their third straight conference loss and fall to 11-15-1 and 2-5 NJAC.

 

In defeat, freshman second baseman ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 2-for-5 with a run to extend his hitting streak to seven games and senior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NY/LaSalle Academy (NY)) was 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs, and his second homerun of the season.

 

Senior KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) played left field in the game and continued his torrid hitting. He walked twice and was 1-for-2. In his last 13 games, he is hitting a .575 (23-40) with a .604 on-base percentage. Sophomore third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant Beach) had one RBI.

 

Sophomore outfielder Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) had three RBIs for Kean, going 2-for-4 with two runs and freshman designated hitter Dylan Laguna (Edison, NJ/Edison) was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Freshman centerfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) had two RBIs and junior second baseman Mike Moceri (Yardville, NJ/Hamilton East) scored twice. Freshman first baseman Lee Cavico (North Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

 

Senior right-hander Colin Feneis (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) earned the win (2-1). In 6.0 innings, he allowed three runs (two earned), four hits, struck out five and walked two. Senior right-handers Drew Campbell (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) combined for 3.0 innings of relief, allowing one run and two hits; Aich had four strikeouts in two innings.

 

NJCU freshman righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) took the loss (1-3), allowing six earned runs and 11 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 5.2 innings.

 

Freshman righty THOMAS VERMAZEN (San Diego, CA/Point Loma) was perfect in relief, retiring all seven batters he faced in 2.1 innings of work.

 

Kean scored five times in the first inning as nine batters came to the plate. With one out and one on, NJCU had an opportunity to turn a double play before an infield throwing error allowed the inning to be extended. Kean would capitalize. Ramirez had a two-run single and Cavico followed with an RBI ground-rule double for a 3-0 lead. With Cavico and Ramirez on second and third, Gibbons slipped a two-RBI single through the right side as Kean added two more runs for a 5-0 lead and the eventual winning margin.

 

NJCU made it a game in the third inning with three runs. After Colonand senior designated hitter JORGE PARDO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) led off with walks, Gonzalez singled to load the bases and Fiorentino followed with an infield RBI single to score Colon. A throwing error allowed Pardo to also come home. Senior center fielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA) added an RBI for a 5-3 deficit with an effective groundout.

 

But Kean tacked on three more runs in the fourth. Moceri had a two-out single before Laguna had a run-producing double down the right field line and Ramirez added another double to left as Laguna scored. A throwing error by NJCU allowed Ramirez to score the third run of the inning for an 8-3 lead.

 

In the sixth inning NJCU threatened as Brus and freshman right fielder JOE STEINBERGER (San Diego, CA/San Diego) each had two-out singles, before being stranded. A double play erased NJCU's threat in the seventh. Colon smacked his second homer of the season and the fourth of his two-year NJCU career to make it 8-4 with one out in the ninth inning, but the Knights didn't score again.

 

NJCU will host The College of Staten Island on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:30 p.m. The Knights defeated CSI, 11-4, in the first meeting between the schools on April 1.