New Jersey City University Athletics

With the win, NJCU snaps a three-game losing streak and improves to 12-15-1 while Staten Island is .500 at 10-10. The Knights, who defeated CSI in Staten Island, NY on April 1—winning 11-4—have now won six of the last seven meetings between the schools and lead the all-time series, 17-16.

 

Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to nine games and swiped four of NJCU's seven bases in the game while the Knights were only caught once. Gonzalez became the third different player on record in school history to steal four bases in a game, joining ROB SUMNER, who stole a record five against Cazenovia College on April 24, 2005 and four at Lehman College on April 11, 2006 and Bruce Reibis who had four against Ramapo College in 1978, as the only players to have ever accomplished the feat.

 

Senior first baseman JOSE COLON (Brooklyn, NJ/LaSalle Academy (NY)) was 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI, and a double. Sophomore third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant) had a run and RBI and posted a huge defensive play in the fifth inning.

 

CSI had a 3-for-4 showing from freshman second baseman Henry Roman (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) with a run and RBI while sophomore shortstop Marc Glennerster (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) finished 2-for-3.

 

Four NJCU pitchers combined to allow just eight hits led by junior left-hander CHRIS SMITH (Linden, NJ/Rahway) who improved to 3-1 overall. In 5.0 innings he allowed two runs and five hits with one walk.

 

Sophomore right-hander WESTLEY LOPEZ (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had one strikeout and allowed just three hits in 2.0 innings. Senior righty STEVE HALLAM (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning before junior righty JOSEPH TARALLO (South Amboy, NJ/Hoffman) had a strikeout and walk in the ninth to close it.

 

CSI senior righty Stephen Mojica (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond) took his first loss of the year (2-1). In 6.0 innings he allowed five runs on 10 hits with three K's and four walks.

 

NJCU opened the scoring with two runs in the third. Gonzalez singled, stole both second and third and scored on a single by Fiorentino. Colon then brought in Fiorentino with an RBI single. NJCU left 11 runners on base in the game including the bases loaded in the third and seventh innings.

 

CSI would even the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles followed by a double by Roman made it 2-1. With runners on the corners and no one out, Fiorentino made a brilliant defensive play that eventually would prevent the Dolphins from gaining a lead in the inning. Freshman centerfielder Steve Hession (Staten Island, NY/McKee-SI Tech) hit a scorching line drive towards the third base line before Fiorentino made a diving catch on the chalk, then lunged to tag third base to retire the lead runner and record an unassisted double play. CSI did tie the game when Dolphin junior third baseman Devon DiCasoli (Staten Island, NY/Moore) singled up the middle to bring home Roman for a 2-2 game.

 

But NJCU responded with the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Colon doubled to right field. Senior left fielder JORGE PARDO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) followed with an infield single and Colon moved to third, and then sprinted home at the conclusion of the play when CSI failed to guard the line.

 

Lopez retired the Dolphins in order in the sixth, and stranded a pair of runners despite allowing three hits in the seventh. Gonzalez made a highlight-reel quality diving stop towards the middle of the diamond at second base to record a force play, end the inning, and prevent the Dolphins from tying the game again.

 

Finally, NJCU tacked on two runs in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth to pad its lead. With the bases loaded in the seventh, Pardo walked to drive in Hoyer who singled. Senior catcher KRISTOPHER BRUS (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) scored on a sac fly byfreshman right fielder/first baseman JOE STEINBERGER (San Diego, CA/San Diego). Junior right fielder EDDIE GONZALO (Union City, NJ/Union Hill), who entered the game as a pinch runner in the seventh, had an RBI single in the eighth inning to score Hoyer, who again singled.

 

NJCU is back in action on Thursday, April 9 at 3:30 p.m. when it travels to William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ for a New Jersey Athletic Conference game. CSI hosts John Jay College on April 10 at 12 p.m.