BOX SCORE
LITTLE FALLS, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Junior left fielder KEN WITTE (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional) and senior designated hitter ALEX MENA (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) each collected two hits, including a homerun to help New Jersey City University rally from a 4-0 deficit to force ties of 4-4 and 5-5, but Montclair State University scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth, led by a three-run homer, as the Red Hawks overcame NJCU, 9-5, in the 2010 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools, played at Yogi Berra Stadium.
The game, which was moved from NJCU due to field conditions following several days of heavy rain, saw each team collect 11 hits. NJCU's five-game winning streak was snapped, as the Knights fell to .500 at 8-8 (0-1 NJAC). Montclair, winners of three straight, improves to 8-4 (1-0 NJAC). The Red Hawks have won the last 10 meetings between the clubs since 2004 and five of those wins have been decided by four or fewer runs, including the last four games by a combined 11 runs.
Witte, this week's New Jersey Athletic Conference and ECAC Division III Metro Player of the Week, continued his torrid hitting, going 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI—his first career homerun. He is batting .739 (17-for-23) over his last six games.
Mena, who hit his seventh career round tripper and second homer of the season, was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs. Sophomore second baseman ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 2-for-5 with one run.
Junior third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant Beach) extended his remarkable streak as the most difficult player in Division III to strikeout. Fiorentino had one RBI as he increased his team-best RBI total to 23. In 69 plate appearances and 55 at bats this season, Fiorentino, who ranks #1 in the country in fewest strikeouts, has not struck out.
Montclair junior second baseman Andrew Himmelfarb (Nyack, NY/Nyack) smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to four after MSU had gained a 6-5 cushion. It was his only hit of the game, but the most important.
Sophomore catcher Kevin Bond (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) was 3-for-3 with a run while sophomore left fielder Mickey McGraw (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run. Freshman first baseman Jason Chesterman (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) added a 2-for-4 effort with a run and RBI.
Both starting pitchers received no decisions. NJCU junior ace JEFF KARCZEWSKI (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) threw 7.0 innings, allowing five runs and eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks, keeping the Knights in the game after MSU scored three runs in the second inning. Sophomore right-hander RANDY PARISH (Rahway, NJ/Central (Brooksville, FL)) took the loss (0-3), allowing four runs and three hits with one K in the eighth inning.
MSU junior righty Jack McDonough (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) started, going 6.0 innings. He allowed four runs and 10 hits, struck out four and walked one. Sophomore Kevin Miller (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) earned the win (1-0) in relief, pitching 2.0 innings. He allowed one run and one hit, fanning one. Senior Will Traverso (Vernon, NJ/Verona) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
MSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second. After a walk and a single, McGraw tripled to right-center, bringing home two runs, before scoring himself on a groundout. MSU added a fourth run in the third on an RBI single by Chesterman.
NJCU got one run back in the top of the fifth. Gonzalez singled and advanced all the way to third base on a groundout by Witte, before scoring on a Fiorentino grounder.
The Knights got closer with two runs in the sixth, trimming MSU's lead to 4-3. Sophomore catcher FRANCISCO RAMIREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) singled and Mena drilled the first pitch he saw over the left field fence.
NJCU tied it in the top of the seventh when Witte slammed a 2-1 pitch over the fence, tying the game at 4-4. MSU regained a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the inning. Junior shortstop Jay Bionde (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on ground out, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by senior right fielder Scott Evangelist (Northfield, NJ/Holy Spirit).
The Knights responded yet again, tying it in the top of the eighth. Mena was hit by a pitch and senior center fielder EDDIE GONZALO (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) doubled to center, forcing a 5-5 deadlock.
But in the eighth inning, Chesterman singled and moved to second on a groundout before coming in with the go-ahead run on an RBI single to right by sophomore third baseman Adam Bergman (Berkeley Heights, NJ/Gov. Livingston). With two outs, Bionde was hit by a pitch and Himmelfarb homered to left center for a 9-5 cushion. Traverso retired NJCU in order in the ninth, preventing another comeback bid.
NJCU is back in action on Friday, April 2 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts Ramapo College in an NJAC game at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Thursday, April 1, 2010 | Little Falls, NJ
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New Jersey City University (8-8, 0-1 NJAC)
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0
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0
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0
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0
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1
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2
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1
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1
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0
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5
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11
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1
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Montclair State University (8-4, 1-0 NJAC)
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0
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3
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1
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0
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0
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0
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1
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4
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X
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9
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11
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0
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WP: Kevin Miller (1-0). LP: RANDY PARISH (0-3). HR: KEN WITTE (1), ALEX MENA (2), Andrew Himmelfarb (1).
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