New Jersey City University Athletics

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GOTHIC KNIGHT INSIGHTS (POST-GAME INTERVIEWS) (ZACK MARKLE, MICHAEL PATTERSON)

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) batted 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a key outfield assist and sophomore left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) allowed just one run in his first career start as New Jersey City University moved back above .500 with a 4-3 win over John Jay College in a non-conference baseball game on Tuesday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
A year after NJCU (8-7) and John Jay (4-18) played a game that had a combined 47 runs in a 26-21 Gothic Knight victory, Tuesday's contest was more pitching oriented.
 
NJCU scored single runs in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings and led 4-1 heading to the ninth. John Jay scored twice to make it a one-run game before its losing streak was extended to five straight when the game ended on a double play.
 
Patterson, whose bat had gone cold in NJCU's first five northern games since returning home from Florida, entered the game with just two hits in his last 16 at bats after starting the year as the club's leadoff and number two hitter. He flourished in the No. 6 spot in the lineup, collecting two singles, a double and a walk in his four plate appearances, while throwing out a runner at the plate in the third inning.
 
Meanwhile, reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference and New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division II/III Rookie Hitter of the Week and right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, knocking in NJCU's first two runs of the game.
 
Freshman shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep), who won the NJAC and NJCBA Rookie awards on March 19, was 2-for-4 with a run scored and his 10^th steal of the season. Freshman third baseman STEFAN SEGUEN (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and junior PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) each produced RBIs in pinch hitting roles.
 
Markle was making his 17^th career appearance but starting for the first time. He improved to 2-1 on the season by allowing just one run in 6.0 innings of work. He gave up 10 hits, but they were all singles, with two strikeouts and two  walks over 90 pitches. Markle stranded the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings and two runners on base in the fifth.
 
Freshman righty KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) started the game at second base before coming into the game with two men on and no outs in the ninth inning and despite walking a batter, recorded two ground ball outs to end the game to earn his first career save while maintaining a league-leading 0.00 ERA in 9.2 innings of work.
 
Junior righty ORLANDO BOLANO (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) pitched the seventh and eighth innings before opening the ninth. In 2.0 innings, he K'd two, walked one and allowed one earned run and two hits.
 
John Jay outhit NJCU 12-8 but stranded 12 runners on base, versus just six for the Knights. The Bloodhounds had leadoff singles in four of the first six innings. Five John Jay players had multiple hits.
 
Freshman designated hitter Brian McKenna (New York, NY) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Yahnny Arias (Bronx, NY) was 2-for-4 while sophomore left fielder Ronald Barillas (Ozone Park, NY) scored once in a 2-for-4 showing. Sophomore catcher Nestor Amarante (New York, NY) was also 2-for-4 as the first four batters in the Bloodhound lineup batted a combined 8-for-17. Freshman first baseman Eddie Montanez (Staten Island, NY) was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
Sophomore right-hander Mark Marte (New York, NY) took the loss (0-2) despite pitching well. In 7.0 innings he allowed three earned runs (four total) and seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 97 pitches. Sophomore righty Corry Harper (Woodhaven, NY) faced three batters in the eighth, allowing one hit.
 
After JJC stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second, NJCU chalked up the first run in the bottom of the inning as Wagner singled through the left side to knock in freshman first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin), who reached on an error and advanced to third on a balk and subsequent wild pitch.
 
In the third, McKenna and Amarante singled with one out. A failed pickoff at first and dropped throw allowed a runner to advance to third and with two outs Montanez singled to left center. McKenna scored to tie the game but Patterson gunned down Amarante at the plate to preserve the 1-1 score.
 
Patterson's throw home was the fifth outfield assist by NJCU this season and third time the Knights have thrown out a runner at the plate.
 
In the bottom of the fourth NJCU regained the lead for good. With two outs, Patterson legged out a double down the right field line, and then sprinted home when Wagner singled up the middle for a 2-1 edge.
 
After leaving the bases full in the fifth, NJCU added a third run in the sixth inning. Patterson dropped down a bunt single on the first pitch of the inning, advanced to second on a grounder, stole third, and used his speed to score from third on a groundout to first by Senyszyn.
 
In the seventh, the Knights added the eventual winning run. Martucci led off with a single, swiped second base and scored on a pinch hit RBI single by Seguen, who registered his first career run batted in.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Bolano came out for his third inning of relief but allowed a leadoff double to Barillas and hit McKenna with a pitch. DeMauro moved from second base to the mound but walked Amarante to load the bases. With no one out, junior second baseman Cosme Munoz (Brooklyn, NY) grounded a potential double play ball to shortstop, and the Knights got the force at second before the relay was thrown away for an error. Barillas scored on the initial ground ball before McKenna came around on the error to make it a one-run game.
 
With the tying run on first base and one out, DeMauro coerced Montanez into a double play ball. Freshman JUAN CRUZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)), who replaced DeMauro at second and committed the error, made up for it by tagging the runner and throwing to first to complete the game-ending 4-3-3 double play.
 
NJCU begins the first of five straight road games on Wednesday, March 28 at 6 p.m. when it faces Lehman College in Bronx, NY.