New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

MADISON, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Drew University scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning, six of which were unearned after one of two errors in the frame, and that was enough of a margin for the Rangers to defeat New Jersey City University, 10-4, in a non-conference  game on Thursday at Doc Young Field.
 
NJCU (8-9), playing its third non-conference game in as many days during the mid-week, outhit Drew (9-7), 12-9, but fell too far behind as the Rangers scored only four earned runs in the game.
 
The middle of the order each had multiple hits for NJCU as freshman shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep), sophomore designated hitter/second baseman ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) and junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) each had two hits. Junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) was 1-for-4 with a run, RBI and double in the leadoff role.
 
Freshman shortstop Steve Kowalski (Robbinsville, NJ) had three RBIs on a first-inning triple for his only hit of the game. Senior right fielder Drew Obergfell (Cranford, NJ) wad 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run and senior designated hitter Tom Murray (Brick, NJ) scored three runs in a 2-for-3 effort.
 
Also for Drew, sophomore second baseman Pat Lydon (Cumberland, RI) was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Senior first baseman Steven DeBonis (Hamilton, NJ) walked twice and had a busy day defensively, making 14 putouts.
 
Freshman right-hander Leo Ruiz (Perth Amboy, NJ) was erratic but earned the win (1-2) after being staked to the huge lead.  In 5.2 innings he allowed four runs and eight hits with five walks and one K. Junior righty Cody Cummings (Staten Island, NY) struck out three batters against two hits and one walk in 2.1 innings. Drew used three pitchers in the win.
 
Junior left-hander PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) made his second career start, dropping to 0-2 this season despite allowing just four hits in 3.2 innings. Despite allowing four runs, only three were earned, and he struck out two against four walks.
 
NJCU used five pitchers in the game. Freshman utility player JUAN CRUZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) started the game at second base before throwing 2.0 innings with one run, one strikeout, one walk and two hits charged in his first career appearance on the mound. It was his fifth position played this season; he has also played first, second, third and right field.
 
Senior righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) struck out three batters over 19 pitches in an eighth inning relief appearance, allowing one hit and one walk. Junior righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) had a strikeout against one hit in a 14-pitch ninth inning stint.
 
NJCU struck first in the first inning. With two outs, freshman first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) doubled and scored on a Martucci RBI single.
 
In the first inning, a leadoff error put the first runner on before he scored on a wild pitch, and Garcia hit a batter and walked the next two to load the bases. Obergfell singled to put Drew ahead, 2-1. Garcia struck out the next batter and that should have ended the inning if not for the error. Drew would capitalize; Kowalski lifted the next pitch to left center for a bases-clearing triple and a 5-1 lead.
 
Sophomore center fielder Dominic Reyes (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris), whose late brother Ricky Reyes was an honorary member of the Gothic Knights before passing away from cancer in February, and was honored by NJCU in a ceremony on March 7, was the next batter. Reyes singled to score Kowalski for a 6-1 lead before coming home on NJCU's second error of the inning as 12 Rangers batters came to the plate in the frame.
 
In the fourth inning, Roman walked and Rivera singled. Sophomore MATT MATLOSZ (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson), seeing his first action of the season after recovering from an injury suffered in the fall, pinch hit and singled to left for an RBI in his first career NJCU plate appearance.
 
But Drew extended the lead to 9-2 in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Lydon and Obergfell before Drew left the bases loaded. NJCU stranded 12 batters in the game while the Rangers left 10.
 
The Knights drew a little closer with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Weinstein had his conference leading fifth sacrifice fly in the fifth to score Patterson who led off with a double. In the sixth, NJCU had two singles and two walks before a bases loaded pass to Patterson scored reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference and NJCBA Division II/III Rookie of the Week MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), who had singled. But NJCU left the bases loaded and stranded two in the sixth and left two more in the seventh. Drew added a single run in the bottom of the sixth for the final run of the game.
 
NJCU opens NJAC play on Saturday, March 31 at 12 p.m. when it visits Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, NJ. Both games of the doubleheader will be broadcast live at NJCUGothicKnights.com.