The College of New Jersey scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and tallied 16 runs in the first four frames as the Lions swept a two-day home-and-home New Jersey Athletic Conference series from New Jersey City University, 20-12, on Good Friday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
TCNJ improved to 19-8 with its fifth consecutive win (6-5 NJAC) while the Gothic Knights fell to 6-24 (1-11 NJAC). There were a combined 40 hits between the schools—23 for the Lions and 17 by NJCU.
In defeat for NJCU, senior center fielder KEN WITTE (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional) notched six RBIs, batting 3-for-3 with a three-run homerun, two runs and his 94th, 95th and 96th career hits as he strives to become the 34th member of the NJCU 100-hit club and only the ninth to accomplish the feat in two full seasons. It was the most RBIs in a game by an NJCU player since ALEX MENA had seven against Rutgers-Camden on April 26, 2008.
Junior shortstop ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 3-for-5 with three runs and established a NJCU record for hits in the first three seasons of a career with 161, surpassing the mark of 160 by Hall-of-Famer Rich Levins from 1986-88.
Seven players have multiple hits for TCNJ. Junior catcher Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) continued his success against the Knights in his career. In six career meetings, he now is a combined 17-for-30 (.567) with 16 RBIs and 12 runs against the Knights after producing a 5-for-7 effort, with three doubles, four RBIs, and three runs in the win.
Sophomore second baseman Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North) was 3-for-5 with four RBIs, two doubles and two runs in a leadoff role and sophomore third baseman Nick Cifelli (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) was 4-for-5 with four runs and three RBIs. Sophomore right fielder Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) was 3-for-6 with two runs and two ribbies.
Also for TCNJ, freshman left fielder Joseph Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) had three RBIs and two runs. Junior first baseman Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberley Academy) was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while sophomore designated hitter Andrew Priece (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) was 2-for-6 with two RBIs and two doubles. Senior shortstop Jason Zegarski (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) and senior center fielder Anthony Palmiotto (Manchester, NJ/Manchester Township) each scored twice; Zegarski batted 2-for-7.
NJCU senior third baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant Beach) added three runs in a 3-for-5 effort. Junior second baseman CHRISTOPHER MIRABILE (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI double. Junior catcher FRANCISCO RAMIREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and rookie left fielder ALEX TERAN (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) each were 2-for-4 with one run.
TCNJ junior right-hander Eric Lewis (Wantagh, NY/W.C. Mepham) earned the win, improving to 4-1. In six innings over 95 pitches, he allowed seven earned runs and 14 hits with three strikeouts and one walk, but worked with a sizable offensive cushion from the first inning on. Despite the margin of victory, junior righty Michael Ham (Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXIII) earned his second save of the season by throwing the final three innings. Over 58 pitches he allowed three earned runs and three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Sophomore righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) started for NJCU and took the loss (1-7), allowing nine earned runs and 10 hits with two walks and one strikeout in 1.1 innings. Senior WESTLEY LOPEZ (West New York, NJ/Memorial) threw two innings and allowed six runs and four hits with three walks and one strikeout. Rookie righty MATT DELBERT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) tossed 3.2 innings, allowing two runs and five hits with one walk. Sophomore PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) tossed the final two innings, allowing two runs and four hits with two walks.
NJCU had a chance to get out of the first inning in order but with two outs, Teran, making only his third career start, misjudged a fly ball off the bat of Ruzich that fell in for a double and TCNJ capitalized with seven runs and seven hits in the inning. Galeotafiore opened the scoring with an RBI double to right. Murphy singled to center to score Galeotafiore, and then came home for the third run on an RBI single up the middle by Cifelli. Priece doubled down the left field line to push two runners into scoring position and Palmiotto walked to loaded the bases. Dispoto made it 5-0 with a single to right field. Kelly, batting for the second time in the inning, doubled to left for two more runs before NJCU finally got out of the inning with a groundout by the 11th batter in the frame.
NJCU got a run back when Gonzalez reached on an error, advanced to third on a single by Fiorentino and scored on a sacrifice fly by Witte.
In the second inning, TCNJ made it 9-1 as Ruzich walked and Galeotafiore singled. An RBI single to right by Murphy made it 8-1 before Cifelli singled up the middle for the ninth run. A bases loaded walk by Dispoto pushed in the 10th run before Lopez forced a 1-3 ground out to escape the inning with the bases full. TCNJ added two runs in the third on a double down the left field line by Priece for a 12-1 advantage.
In the third inning, Gonzalezhad a high infield chopper for his 159th career hit and Fiorentino singled through the left side before Witte slammed his second homerun of the season just over the left field fence for three RBIs, making it 12-4.
TCNJ loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth after two hit batters and a single. Ruzich had a sacrifice fly before Galeotafiore deposited a long double into the right field gap for two more RBIs and a 15-4 lead. Cifelli added an RBI single for the fourth run of the inning.
NJCU tallied three runs in the fifth to make it 16-7. Fiorentino walked and Witte singled before a two-base throwing error allowed one run to score. Ramirez had an RBI single and sophomore first baseman THOMAS LACIK (Edison, NJ/Bishop George Ahr) grounded out to knock in another run.
Witte's 96th career hit, an infield single to third in the sixth inning drove in NJCU's eighth run and was his fifth RBI of the game. Kelly had a two-out, two-run single in the seventh to add to the TCNJ lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gonzalez led off with the record-breaking single—an infield hit to shortstop, as he used his speed to generate hits, much the way he has done throughout his career. He moved to third on a single to right by Fiorentino. Witte aired out a long fly ball to left center that resulted in a sacrifice fly and his sixth RBI of the game but reached base when the ball was dropped in the gap. TCNJ, which left 12 runners on base in the game, added two runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Ruzich and an RBI double by Galeotafiore.
NJCU will travel to Glassboro, NJ to face Rowan University, ranked No. 23 in the American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll, on Saturday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m. in an NJAC doubleheader. TCNJ hosts Ramapo College at the same time.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Friday, April 22, 2011 | Jersey City, NJ
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The College of New Jersey (19-8, 6-5 NJAC)
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New Jersey City University (6-24, 1-11 NJAC)
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