New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
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JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rookie right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) went 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBIs and two doubles to highlight an offensive attack that chalked up 16 hits as New Jersey City University posted an 11-4 victory over St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn), in a non-conference baseball game on Thursday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
NJCU (6-5) improved to 4-0 all-time against the Bears (7-11), as four Gothic Knights gathered multiple hits. NJCU won its first home game after an 0-2 start.
 
NJCU scored six runs in the first two innings to claim a 6-1 lead before adding three runs in the seventh to compliment single runs in the fifth and eighth frames.
 
Sophomore designated hitter ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI and junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA scored three runs, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
Sophomore shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, one run and his eighth steal of the season. Freshman first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) knocked in two RBIs in a 1-for-3 effort.
 
Junior ALVIN CARRASCO (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) picked up his first win of the season (1-0) and second of his career. In 5.0 innings, he allowed three earned runs (four total) and three hits with three strikeouts and two walks over 79 pitches.
 
Sophomore left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) pitched 2.0 innings, allowing just four hits and no runs with one strikeout. Junior ORLANDO BOLANO (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) struck out the side in a 1-2-3 eighth inning before sophomore RYAN MITCHELL (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) had a strikeout and walk against one hit, facing four batters in the ninth to seal it.
 
SJCBK received half of its hits from its eight and nine batters in the lineup. Freshman third baseman Rob Mongiori (Jackson Heights, NY) was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and senior designated hitter Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ) had one RBI, batting 2-for-4.
 
Sophomore right-hander Donny Pagano (Staten Island, NY) took the loss (1-4). Over 100 pitches in 6.2 innings, he allowed five earned runs (10 total) and 15 hits with two strikeouts and one walk before the Bears used two relievers for two-thirds of an inning each.
 
NJCU, which had the leadoff runner on base in six of eight innings, started off the game with its first two runners on as  junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) singled, Rivera doubled and a ground ball by Martucci knocked in the first run. Roman later singled for a 2-0 advantage.
 
SJCBK leading hitter, sophomore right fielder Joe Mendez (Staten Island, NY) doubled to lead off the second before eventually scoring on a balk to cut the lead in half.
 
After a one-out error extended the second inning, NJCU capitalized, scoring four unearned runs on four hits. Rivera and Martucci each had RBI singles for a 4-1 lead before Weinstein deposited a two-run single into center field for a 6-1 advantage. Weinstein stole second and advanced to third, where he was stranded.
 
In the third, St. Joe's got a run back when Mongiori doubled to left center and scored one a one-out infield throwing error. The Bears made it a 6-4 game with two runs in the fifth on just one hit, as SJCBK took advantage of two walks and three wild pitches in the inning, scoring on an RBI single by Boccia and a later sacrifice fly.
 
But NJCU pushed the lead to 7-4 on an RBI bloop single to center by sophomore catcher MIKE CASIANO (Newark, NJ/North 13^th Street).
 
The Knights tacked on three runs off of three hits in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run double down the left field line by Wagner, scoring Roman, who led off with a single, and freshman second baseman JUAN CRUZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)), who reached on a no-out error. Junior ANGEL MARTE (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Elizabeth)) followed with a pinch-hit RBI single to score Wagner for a 10-4 lead.
 
In the eighth inning, Rivera led off with a walk and Martucci singled, before a walk loaded the bases. On an odd play, Cruz was retired on an infield fly that was dropped by the Bears' catcher and an alert Rivera darted home from third for the 11^th run.
 
NJCU will next host its fourth annual three-game weekend home series against St. Joseph's College of Maine, defending champions of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), and the No. 27 ranked team in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 30 national poll. The first two nine-inning games will be on Saturday, March 24 at 12 p.m. before an 11 a.m. game on Sunday morning.