New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University outhit Centenary College 16-10, but left 14 runners stranded on base while committing five errors as the Cyclones defeated NJCU, 13-7, in the first game of the 2012 baseball campaign in a non-conference  contest played at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
NJCU (0-1) only allowed six earned runs and had six players notch multiple hits against Centenary (4-3). The Cyclones had three players with multiple hits.
 
Junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) had an outstanding offensive performance in his debut at NJCU, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs, two steals and one run in a leadoff role. Defensively he made a brilliant diving catch on the right-center field warning track area in the fifth inning.
 
Sophomore left-hander DELIO COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) struck out seven against three walks in 3.1 innings of relief. He did not allow a hit, against two earned runs (four total).
 
Centenary's lead hitter was freshman designated hitter Kevin Litus (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) who was 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Freshman left fielder Ryan Caparoni (Kenvil, NJ/Roxbury) scored three runs, going 2-for-3 with two walks and one RBI.
 
After Patterson, five NJCU players had two hits, led by sophomore second baseman ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) who was 2-for-6 with two RBIs. Freshman designated hitter STEFAN SEGUEN (North Bergen, NJ/Hudson Catholic) scored twice and went 2-for-3.
 
Also for NJCU, junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) was 2-for-6 with a double and RBI and sophomore shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was 2-for-4 in his NJCU debut. Junior catcher RYAN WINTERS (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
For the Cyclones, senior first baseman Anthony DeSomma (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) added a 2-for-4 outing with a run and RBI while junior shortstop Ian Steepy (Elmwood Park, NJ/Elmwood Park Memorial) walked and scored twice. Senior second baseman Chris Smith (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) scored twice and senior third baseman Garrett Meagher (North Warren, NJ/North Warren) knocked in two RBIs in his only plate appearance.
 
Centenary junior right-hander Kyle Bayse (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) allowed two unearned runs and five hits in a starting role. The Cyclones used six pitchers in the game and junior righty Dylan Kemmerer (Easton, PA/Easton Area) earned the win (1-0) when he entered in relief in the fourth inning and stranded the bases loaded. In 3.0 innings he allowed just two hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
 
NJCU junior righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) took the loss, allowing two earned runs (six total) on seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 2.2 innings. The Knights used four pitchers in the game. Senior righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) came out of the pen for two effective innings of relief, allowing one unearned run and two hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
 
Centenary scored single runs in the first and second inning before NJCU evened the game with two runs in the bottom of the third, tying the game on an infield single by Patterson, before the hosts stranded two on.
 
The Cyclones took the lead for good when it scored four times in the third inning courtesy of three Gothic Knight errors. After run producing singles by DeSomma and Castillo made it 4-2, Litus drove a two-run triple into deep center field for a 6-2 margin before Coutinho entered in relief and ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
NJCU loaded the bases with two out in the third before leaving the bags full, but the Knights drew within two, 6-4, with a two-run spot in the fourth. Roman scorched a line drive off the mound to score one run and Patterson, who singled, scored on a Rivera double to right center. But with no one out, NJCU wasted a golden opportunity, as Kemmerer entered in relief and stranded the bases loaded, including a pair of strikeouts and a force out at the plate.
 
NJCU again had two runners on in the sixth inning but was unable to drive in the runs. NJCU batted 6-for-22 in the game with an RBI opportunity and 9-for-28 with runners in scoring position.
 
Centenary scored five times in the top of the seventh, again aided by a pair of NJCU errors. A bases loaded walk, followed by a sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Caparoni and Litus made it 10-4 before an error pushed the 11^th run across. NJCU got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Patterson and Roman, to make it 11-6. Meagher added a two-run, two-out single in the top of the ninth for a 13-6 margin; Patterson had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth before NJCU left two final runners on as the game ended on a strikeout with the daylight dwindling for an early March game that lasted 3:24.
 
NJCU heads to Florida for the Russ Matt Spring Break Invitational on Friday, and begins an eight-game trip on Saturday, March 10 when it faces Daniel Webster College in Groveland, FL. Live stats and video for all eight games on the trip will be available at NJCUGothicKnights.com. Centenary next plays Susquehanna University in Fort Pierce, FL the same day.