Junior catcher FRANCISCO RAMIREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and senior designated hitter JORDAN TETRICK (Delray Beach, FL/Radnor (Pa.)) each homered for New Jersey City University, but the Gothic Knights stranded nine runners and dropped their fifth consecutive game as Neumann University edged NJCU, 7-4, in a non-conference contest on Friday at Bruder Field.
Neumann improves to 13-3 and wins its third straight while NJCU falls to 2-8, playing its first game in eight days. NJCU led 1-0 and 3-2, before Neumann scored twice in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the seventh to seize control of the game.
NJCU had seven hits in the game—all coming from the first five batters in the lineup, led by Ramirez who was 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, one walk and his first homerun of the season and fifth of his two-year Gothic Knight career. Tetrick was 1-for-5 with two RBIs on his second homer of the season and fourth in two seasons.
Junior second baseman ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) added a 2-for-5 showing in a leadoff role, increasing his career hits total to 132—13th in school history.
Neumann had three players with multiple hits and three with multiple RBIs, led by junior right fielder/first baseman Derrek Etsell (Philadelphia, PA), who was 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and a homer. Senior designated hitter Matt Compton (Philadelphia, PA) also hit a homerun, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
Also for Neumann, junior center fielder Bobby Callan (Drexel Hill, PA) and sophomore Michael Tomeo (Holland, PA) each collected two hits while sophomore left fielder Bill Pace (Boothwyn, PA) was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, adding his ninth double of the season.
Junior right-hander Matthew Smith (Williamstown, NJ) was the winner for Neumann (2-1), striking out eight with two walks in 7.0 innings. He allowed three runs and six hits. Sophomore righty Brendan Melody (Brick, NJ) had two strikeouts in the eighth inning before sophomore righty Erik Klimoff (Coatesville, PA) allowed one unearned run and one hit with a strikeout in the ninth.
Senior righty JEFF KARCZEWSKI (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) took the loss (0-3), allowing six earned runs and nine hits in 7.0 innings, with two Ks and one walk. Freshman right-hander MATT DELBERT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) didn't allow a hit in an eighth-inning appearance.
NJCU took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first inning when Ramirez lifted a 3-1 pitch over the center field wall. Neumann countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Callan led off with a single and scored on a one-out homer to left by Etsell.
NJCU had a leadoff double in the second inning but couldn't plate the run and stranded two runners in the third and fourth innings. The Neumann lead held up until the top of the fifth. Ramirez drew a two-out walk and Tetrick put the Gothic Knights ahead, 3-2, when he belted a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence.
Neumann was retired in the fifth but scored twice on three hits in the sixth inning to take a 4-3 advantage it wouldn't relinquish. Etsell led off with a single before Compton lofted the first pitch he saw to left for a two-run homer.
NJCU had a chance to tie the game or move in front in the seventh as Gonzalez and senior right fielder JORGE GUTIERREZ (Sewaren, NJ/Hudson Catholic) singled with one out before Gutierrez stole second, giving the Knights two runners in scoring position. But Smith preserved the lead by striking out Ramirez and Tetrick swinging, throwing 11 pitches to retire the two long-ball threats.
Then in the bottom of the seventh, Neumann put the game away with three more runs. Pace had a two-run double before coming in on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt, as the hosts built a 7-3 margin. Ramirez had a two-out sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to account for NJCU's fourth run.
After two postponements, NJCU will finally open its 2011 home schedule on Saturday, March 26 at 12 p.m. when it meets St. Joseph's College (Maine) in a doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, as part of a three-game weekend series.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Friday, March 25, 2011 | Aston, Pa.
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New Jersey City University (2-8)
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1
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0
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0
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0
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2
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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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7
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1
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Neumann University (13-3)
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2
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0
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0
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0
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0
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2
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3
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0
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X
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7
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9
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4
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