New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

BRONX, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | This time, the late comeback by the New Jersey City University baseball team came up short. The Gothic Knights trailed 7-1 heading to the top of the ninth inning and scored three runs, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as Lehman College edged NJCU, 7-4, in non-conference game on Wednesday played at Lehman's South Field.
 
NJCU (8-8), which has posted three large rallies in the late innings this season, outhit Lehman (6-5), 9-7, but the Lightning led 4-0 after three innings and 7-0 after five, and got a huge effort from sophomore left fielder Michael Liang (Bronx, NY), who batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs and a three-run homerun.

Sophomore right-hander RYAN MITCHELL (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) had thrown just 3.1 innings and allowed just two hits over his first four career starts. Called upon in the third inning after starting pitcher ALVIN CARRASCO (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City))  gave up the three-run homer to Liang for a 4-0 deficit, Mitchell more than doubled his season inning count. In 6.0 innings he allowed just two earned runs (three total) and four hits while striking out five versus one walk on 91 pitches.
 
Junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and freshman shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) had more than half of NJCU's hits batting in the top of the lineup. Bustillo, in the two-hole, was 3-for-4 with a double, two stolen bases, a run and RBI while Martucci, the leadoff hitter, was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI.
 
Sophomore designated hitter ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) and junior ORLANDO BOLANO (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) each had an RBI. NJCU left eight runners on base in the loss.
  
Junior designated hitter Onix Mejia (Corona, NY) had two RBIs and a double for the Lightning. Junior third baseman Stephen Valdes (Bronx, NY) walked twice and was 1-for-2 with a double, RBI and run scored.
 
Senior Francisco Sanchez (Bronx, NY) earned the win for Lehman (2-2), striking out seven versus four walks in 7.0 innings while allowing just one run and six hits. Freshman Wilfredo Gonzalez (Bronx, NY) threw the final 2.0 innings, allowing three runs and three hits with a walk and strikeout.
 
Carrasco (1-1) lost for NJCU, allowing three earned runs (four total) and three hits with two walks and one strikeout in the first two innings before being pulled in the third.
 
In the first inning, Liang singled with one out, stole second, advanced to third on passed ball and scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 advantage.
 
In the third, Lehman got a leadoff walk followed by a ground rule double to left by sophomore center fielder Christian Fadul (Bronx, NY) and Liang slammed a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for his first round tripper of the year and a 4-0 margin.
 
Lehman added to the 4-0 differential with three runs on three hits in the fifth, aided by an error—the only one committed by either side in the game. Liang led off with a single before an error gave the Lightning two runners on. Valdes doubled to center for a 5-0 edge before Mejia deposited a ground-rule double to right for a 7-0 cushion.
 
The Knights were limited to just two hits in the first five innings before NJCU got a run back in the sixth on three hits. Bustillo and freshman first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) singled before an RBI single by Roman accounted for the first run. The inning ended when a fly ball to center resulted in a double play.
 
NJCU left two runners on in the eighth before producing three runs in the ninth to make it interesting. After a leadoff walk by junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway), Bolano ripped a double to center field for an RBI. After the second out was recorded, Martucci doubled to right to score Bolano and Bustillo followed with a double to make it a 7-4 outcome. He advanced to third but was stranded there when a fly ball ended the game.
  
NJCU is back on the field on Thursday, March 29 at 3:30 p.m. when it visits Madison, NJ for a non-conference game at Drew University.