New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
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JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Keystone College demonstrated on Wednesday afternoon why it's considered one of the best teams in the country. The No. 3/6 ranked Giants received a complete-game three-hit shutout from senior right-hander Connor Smith (Tinton Falls, NJ/St. Rose) and won their 19^th consecutive game, defeating New Jersey City University, 6-0, in a non-conference contest at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The swift-moving game lasted just 2:04.
 
Keystone, ranked No. 3 by D3baseball.com and No. 6 by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in Division III, improved to 29-4. Keystone has not lost since March 30 and it received two first-place votes in the April 24 D3baseball poll. The national ranking and first place votes received are KC school records. NJCU (12-23) dropped its fifth in a row. It was the first meeting between the teams in Jersey City; Keystone leads the series, which originated in 2008, by a 4-0 margin.
 
Smith improved to 5-0 with his first complete game and first shutout of the season. He scattered three singles with four strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter while facing 31 batters over 106 pitches. He did not walk a batter until two outs in the ninth inning and Smith retired 18 consecutive batters after a leadoff single in the second inning, before allowing a one-out eighth inning single. He was backed up by a defense that played sensationally. Smith induced 16 ground ball outs and six fly outs. NJCU did not have a runner reach second base after the first inning.
 
Eight of the nine players in the Keystone lineup had a hit and all produced offense in some capacity. Leading the charge was All-American senior second baseman Esteban Meletiche (Philadelphia, PA/Frankford). A 2012 First-Team Preseason All-America and 2011 Second-Team All-America pick by D3baseball.com, he led off for the Giants and was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, one run, his 12^th double and 23^rd stolen base.
 
Senior first baseman Frank Mormino (Howell, NJ/Howell) and senior center fielder Brian Del Rosso (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) were each 2-for-3 with a run scored and junior shortstop Miquel Castano (Miami, FL/Miami Springs) added a 2-for-4, one-run showing. Junior left fielder Jhon Comas (Yonkers, NY/Gregorio Luperon) scored twice with one hit. Senior right fielder Andrew Siano (Springfield, MA/Frankford) had a hit and two stolen bases (19, 20).
 
For NJCU, junior designated player PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) had a first-inning single to extend his on-base streak to 12 straight games. Freshman right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) had a second inning single before junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) ended Smith's string of retired batters with an eighth inning single up the middle.
 
Wagner also had a fine day defensively in right field, with an outfield assist throwing out a runner at first base on a line drive in the gap in the third inning, before making a diving catch on the right field line in the eighth to take away an extra base hit from Siano.
 
NJCU sophomore righty RYAN MITCHELL (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) pitched well against the 2011 NCAA Division III third-place finishing squad, but lost, falling to 2-2. In 8.0 innings, he allowed five earned runs (six total) and 11 hits with one strikeout and two walks over 99 pitches. Senior righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) entered in relief in the top of the ninth with a man on base. He allowed two hits while facing five batters.
 
KC gained a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to sloppy defense as NJCU committed both of its errors in the frame. Meletiche singled up the middle for the only hit of the inning before advancing on a throwing error and Comas was hit by a pitch. The tandem stole second and third before a throwing error on the double steal allowed Meletiche to scramble home from third. A sacrifice fly by junior catcher Austin Straub (Manilus, NY/Fayetteville-Manilus) scored Comas for a 2-0 lead.
 
NJCU's best chance to score came in the bottom of the first. Junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was hit by a pitch and Senyszyn singled before Smith got a strikeout and groundout to get out of trouble. NJCU did not have a quality scoring chance the remainder of the game.
 
Keystone scored twice in the second inning on four consecutive one-out singles. A two-run single to center by Meletiche made it 4-0 before a double play ended the inning. NJCU turned two double plays in defeat.
 
KC added a run in the fifth as Comas doubled down the left field line. Siano was hit by a pitch and stole second before an RBI single by freshman third baseman Lymbel Guerrero (Lynn, MA/Lynn Classical) knocked in the fifth run. Guerrero had eight defensive assists at third base as 15 balls were hit to the left side of the infield.
 
KC added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Del Rosso led off with a single, stole second and scored when Meletiche doubled with no outs down the right field line. KC left two men on base in the inning and eight in the game.
 
 
NJCU continues a five-game stretch over four days to conclude the season on Thursday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the first game of a two-day home-and-home series against No. 23 ranked Montclair State University at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, NJ.