New Jersey City University Athletics

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GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
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JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 22 Rowan University scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings of game one to overcome a six-run seventh inning by New Jersey City University to claw out an 8-7 victory, before sweeping the New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with a 9-5 game two decision on Saturday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Rowan, ranked No. 22 nationally by D3baseball.com and receiving votes in the ABCA Division III coaches' poll, won its fourth and fifth straight games, improving to 24-11 and 8-6 in the league. With 16 points, Rowan is tied for fifth place in the NJAC standings with four league games remaining. NJCU (12-22, 1-13 NJAC) was eliminated from NJAC Tournament contention. Rowan has won the last seven games between the schools.
 
Rowan freshman designated hitter Kevin McMenamin (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) had three hits in each game for the winners and finished a combined 6-for-9 with three runs in the doubleheader.
 
For NJCU, freshman right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and freshman second baseman JUAN CRUZ (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) each had two hits in each game. Wagner was a combined 4-for-9 and Cruz went 4-for-8 with two runs scored.
 
Senior Marc Magliaro (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township) started each game at shortstop before earning saves in both ends of the doubleheader. Trailing 6-1, NJCU sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh inning and scored six runs to claim a 7-6 margin but could not hold it as Rowan tied the game on a throwing error in the eighth inning before senior right fielder/first baseman Matt Hill (Hamilton Square, NJ/Robbinsville) had his fourth run-producing hit of the game in the top of the ninth inning as the  Profs escaped with an 8-7 decision.
 
Hill was a combined 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored and McMenamin added a 3-for-5 showing with two runs scored. Those were the only Rowan players with multiple hits as NJCU had a 13-12 differential in hits. Freshman center fielder Nick Kreiger (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) had two RBIs for the Profs.
 
Freshman shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was 3-for-5 with two steals and one run and junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had two RBIs and a run scored, batting 2-for-5. Cruz and Wagner each went2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.
 
Rowan used five pitchers in the game. Four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and freshman right-hander Andrew Lysy (Allentown, NJ/Allentown) threw 5.2 innings, allowing just one run and six hits with three strikeouts and one walk before being forced out of the game with an apparent arm injury.
 
Senior righty Ryan Peterson (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) allowed all three inherited runners to score when he entered the game in the seventh inning but ended up being the pitcher of record when Rowan rallied in the eighth to earn his fifth win (5-1). He allowed one unearned run and four hits with a walk in an inning and a third. 
 
Magliaro entered the game with the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth and threw just seven pitches to earn his second save—coercing a double play and a pop up to end the game.
 
Junior righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) received a no decision after allowing three earned runs (seven total) and 10 hits against two strikeouts and three walks in 7.1 innings. Freshman righty KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) suffered the loss in relief (2-3), allowing just one run and two hits with a strikeout in 1.2 innings.
 
Rowan took an initial 1-0 lead in the top of the second when McMenamin singled with one out before scoring on a two-out RBI double to right by Hill. After NJCU stranded two runners in the second inning, the Knights would tie the game in the fourth. Martucci led off with a single, stole second, advanced on a sacrifice and scored when Wagner chopped an RBI single over the head of the charging Rowan third baseman when NJCU attempted a squeeze play.
 
Rowan answered with one run in the fifth, three in the sixth and another in the seventh for a 6-1 advantage. In the fifth, Hill doubled and scored on a one-out single by Kreiger.
 
Three runs in the sixth were unearned, aided by two NJCU errors. McMenamin singled with one out. A ground ball to shortstop should have ended the inning but Martucci, setting up for a double play near the second base bag, took his eye off the ball and missed it and everyone was safe. Hill followed with a single to score McMenamin. A throwing error on a sacrifice attempt allowed a second run to score before Hill came in for a 5-1 lead on a sac fly by Kreiger. Rowan added a run in the seventh when senior catcher Nick Turano (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) led off with a single, McMenamin doubled and Hill drove in a run with a sac fly.
 
NJCU had its chances in the sixth inning after Wagner doubled and junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) walked with one out but the Knights left the bases loaded against the bullpen without scoring after Lysy left the game with the injury.
 
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, NJCU began yet another rally. Bustillo led off with a single and junior designated hitter PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) walked before freshman first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) singled with one out to drive in a run. A fielder's choice for retire the second out before Rivera singled past the pitcher's mound to cut the deficit to 6-3 with an RBI single. Sophomore ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) pinch hit and walked to load the bases. Peterson came in as the third pitcher of the inning but Cruz singled up the middle on a 1-0 count for NJCU's fourth run. After junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) reached on a two-out fielding error, Rivera scored. With the inning extended, Bustillo dropped a two-run single to left field to put NJCU in front, 7-6.
 
But NJCU coughed up the one-run lead in the eighth. After senior second baseman Brandon Winkler (Glendora, NJ/Paul VI) reached on a leadoff error by Martucci, he advanced to second on a sacrifice and Magliaro singled to give Rowan two runners on. DeMauro entered in relief and tried checking the runner at first but threw wide of the bag and Winkler scored all the way from second to even the game at 8-8.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Martucci led off with a single and stole second and Rivera was intentionally walked with two outs. NJCU attempted a delayed double steal of second and home before Martucci was thrown out at third.
 
In the ninth, Rowan got the run it needed to win. Junior first baseman Sean Kelly (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) led off with a doubled, sophomore Scott Bruno (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) pinch ran, and scored when Hill singled to left field. In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore MATT MATLOSZ (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) had a pinch-hit single on a full count off of Magliaro. But Cruz hit into a 4-6-3 double play and Patterson popped out to end the game.

NOTABLE INNINGS BY NJCU IN 2012
Date	Opponent	Inning	Runs Scored	Score Before Rally	Score After Rally	Final Result
03/13/2012	vs. Lesley University	Bottom 6th	9	NJCU, 3-2	NJCU, 12-2	NJCU, 12-2
03/15/2012	vs. Mount Saint Mary College (NY)	Bottom 8th	6	MSMC, 8-4	NJCU, 10-8	NJCU, 10-8
03/20/2012	#25 Neumann University	Bottom 7th	8	Neumann, 8-0	Tied, 8-8	Neumann, 10-8
03/25/2012	#27 St. Joseph's College (ME)	Bottom 8th	4	SJCME, 5-3	NJCU, 7-5	NJCU, 7-5
04/03/2012	at King's College	Top 8th	4	NJCU, 6-1	NJCU, 10-1	NJCU, 10-6
04/07/2012	Rutgers University-Camden	Bottom 5th	10	NJCU, 2-0	NJCU, 12-0	NJCU, 18-0
04/13/2012	#8 Kean University	Bottom 8th	3	Kean, 8-4	Kean, 8-7	Kean, 8-7
04/17/2012	Baruch College	Bottom 1st	7	Tied, 0-0	NJCU, 7-0	NJCU, 12-4
04/19/2012	The College of New Jersey	Bottom 6th	3	TCNJ, 7-4	Tied, 7-7	TCNJ, 10-8
04/21/2012	#22 Rowan University	Bottom 7th	6	Rowan, 6-1	NJCU, 7-6	Rowan, 8-7

  Rowan snapped a 3-3 tie with single runs in the third and sixth innings and received 5.1 solid innings of relief from junior left-hander Kyle Brown (Southampton, NJ/Seneca) before putting the game out of reach with four runs in the seventh.
 
There were four homeruns in the game—three by the visitors. Winkler was 3-for-5 with two runs and a solo homerun for his first of the season and Turano added a two-run homer, his fifth overall, and scored twice, batting 2-for-5. Senior center fielder Felix Colarte (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen)'s only hit of the day was a three-run homerun in the four-run seventh for his third round-tripper of the season.
 
Rowan, which outhit NJCU, 18-9, also received a 3-for-4 performance from McMenamin with one run. Magliaro was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a triple and junior third baseman Danny Lang (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) had two hits.
 
Patterson led NJCU's offense in game two, hitting 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run and Wagner was 2-for-4. Cruz had two hits and a run in three at bats and Weinstein slugged his third homerun of the season in the second inning.
 
Brown, the second of five Rowan pitchers used, tossed 5.1 innings after junior righty Brian Rice (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic) was pulled after giving up three runs in 1.2 innings. Brown improved to 3-1, scattering three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Freshman righty Matt Nelson (Allentown, PA/Parkland) threw a scoreless eighth inning with one hit against and one strikeout.
 
Magliaro entered in relief with the bases loaded, no one out and the tying run on deck in the bottom of the ninth inning and like he did in the opening game, induced a double play before ending the game with a groundout.
 
Junior PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) took the loss (0-4), allowing four runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 3.1 innings. He left trailing 4-3. DeMauro pitched 2.2 effective innings in relief, allowing one run and four hits with one strikeout. Cruz K'd two of the three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
 
Rowan jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Lang singled and scored on a triple to right center by Magliaro before Turano slammed a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence.
 
NJCU answered in the bottom of the second. Weinstein crushed the first pitch he saw over the left field fence. With two outs Rivera, sophomore catcher MIKE CASIANO (Newark, NJ/North 13^th Street) and Cruz drew three consecutive walks and a two-run single by Patterson evened the game at 3-3 with Rivera and Casiano scoring. Brown entered and recorded the final out to end the threat and strand two.
 
Rowan immediately reclaimed the lead in the top of the third as Turano singled, McMenamin doubled and Hill lofted a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly to put the visitors back on top. There was a nearly 25-minute delay in the bottom of the third inning with a leaky sprinkler head spraying water in deep center field.
 
In the fourth, sophomore left fielder Eric Perez (Hopelawn, NJ/Woodbridge) led off with a single, Winkler reached on a bunt single, and the tandem stole second and third. A fielder's choice erased Perez at the plate and a fly ball ended the threat. Rowan extended the lead to 5-3 in the sixth on an RBI single by Magliaro that plated Winkler, who had doubled.
 
But Rowan opened up the lead to six runs when it produced four runs on five hits in the top of the seventh. McMenamin and Hill singled and both scored when Colarte launched a three-run homer to left field. Two batters later, Winkler also homered to left.
 
NJCU got a pair of runs back in the ninth as Cruz, Patterson and Bustillo strung together three consecutive singled to load the bases and Senyszyn walked with the bases loaded. Magliaro entered with the tying run on deck and got Martucci to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Patterson scored for the fifth run before Weinstein grounded out to third to end the game.
 
NJCU plays its final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, April 25 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts #6/9 ranked Keystone College, last season's national third-place finisher.