New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

BUENA VISTA, VA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In the earliest season-opener in the 66-year history of the New Jersey City University baseball program, the Gothic Knights led 11-9 going to the bottom of the ninth inning. But NJCU committed three errors without producing an out and Southern Virginia University rallied with three runs, including a game-winning squeeze play as SVU edged the Knights, 12-11, in a game at Parry McCluer High School on February 15.
 
SV entered the game having outscored its opponents, 80-8, in its first four games of the season, and improved to 5-0. NJCU is 0-1.
 
The game was the earliest contest played in NJCU history and only the second date ever played during the month of February. The earliest previous opener was a February 21, 2009 doubleheader at Farmingdale State College.
 
The loss spoiled solid season debuts by several Gothic Knights. Senior second baseman PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored batting in the No. 2 slot and freshman catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a triple and one run. Senior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) was 2-for-3 with three runs, two steals and a triple in a leadoff role.
 
Also for NJCU, junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) was 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Sophomore shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) hit what appeared to be a key solo homerun to lead off the top of the ninth, extending NJCU's margin to two runs. He had two runs in the game. Junior designated hitter MATT MATLOSZ (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) produced two RBIs.
 
SV was led by senior rightfielder Tyler Cox (Forest, Miss.) with a 3-for-5 effort, highlighted by four RBIs, a two-run seventh inning homerun, and a double. Junior shortstop Stevenson (Muskogee, OK) scored four times and was 3-for-5 with three runs and a pair of doubles.
 
Also for the hosts, sophomore second baseman CJ Andrus (Federal Way, WA) was 3-for-4 with two runs. Senior third baseman Trager Hintze (Purcell, OK), senior catcher Barrett Price (Georgetown, SC), and senior left fielder Robert Key (Flower Mound, TX) each were 2-for-5 for the host Knights.
 
In relief, sophomore right-hander Thomas Rudd (Edmond, OK) earned the win to improve to 2-0. He faced six batters in 1.2 innings, allowing one run and one hit with a strikeout. Junior left-hander Tyler King (San Ramon, CA) started for the Knights, allowing four earned runs (eight total) and 10 hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 6.2 innings. Freshman righty Jonathan Hodges (Cleveland, TN) pitched two-thirds of an inning.
 
Sophomore righty KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was charged with the hard-luck loss (0-1), allowing two unearned runs in the ninth, against two hits and a walk without recording an out.
 
Senior righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) started and pitched 7.0 innings, allowing eight earned runs and 13 hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Rookie righty BRANDON CHARLES (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) pitched the eighth inning and faced one batter in the ninth, allowing a leadoff single. He was charged with one unearned run.
 
NJCU scored three times in the top of the first inning. Patterson led off with a single and scored from first on an RBI single by Senyszyn. Rivera drove him in with a double to right. Matlosz added an RBI single to score Rivera for a 3-0 lead.
 
SV would move in front with one run in the bottom of the first, three runs in the bottom of the second and two in the fourth for a 6-1 advantage. Price drove in a run with a first inning ground out. Stevenson knocked in two runs with a double in the second inning before coming around on a double by Cox for a 4-3 lead. In the fourth, Andrus led off with a single and scored on a double by Stevenson. An RBI groundout by Cox allowed Stevenson to score for a 6-3 cushion.
 
NJCU got a run back in the sixth when Niech led off with a single and moved to third on a single to center by sophomore first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin). Niech scored when the center fielder couldn't handle the ball cleanly.
 
Trailing 6-4 entering the seventh, NJCU sent eight men to the plate and produced four runs to grab an 8-6 edge. Patterson had a one-out triple to right field and scored on a ground out by Senyszyn. With two outs, Rivera singled, Matlosz was hit by a pitch and Martucci reached on an error that allowed Rivera to plate the tying run. Niech capitalized, depositing a two-run triple into right field for the third and fourth runs of the frame.
 
SV regained a 9-8 margin in the bottom of the seventh when it collected three runs. Stevenson singled and Cox knocked his first homerun of the season over the left field fence to tie the contest at 8-8. Hintze singled and Price doubled before a walk loaded the bases. With two outs, Andrus generated an infield single to knock in Hintze before Rodriguez got out of the inning with a fielder's choice to keep the bags full.
 
The fourth lead change came in the top of the eighth. Sophomore right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) led off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice. Patterson walked and an RBI single by Senyszyn tied the game, before Patterson came home for a 10-9 lead on a one-out sacrifice fly off the bat of Matlosz.
 
Charles retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth and Martucci gave NJCU an insurance run with a solo homer to left field to lead off the ninth—the first round-tripper of his career.
 
But in the ninth, Hintze singled and was pinch ran for. Price reached on an error at third base and SV had two runners in scoring position. Senior Dale Brown (Mesa, AZ) made it a one-run game with a chopper over third base. When the ball was bobbled in left field by Rivera, Southern Virginia's runners advanced to second and third. Still win no outs, junior Mitchell Mantle (St. George, UT) aired out a high fly to right field. Wagner dropped the ball, allowing Price to score the tying run and pushing Brown to third. Andrus walked to load the bases and Key dropped a squeeze bunt to the pitcher, allowing Brown to come home with the winner.
 
NJCU will continue its season-opening Southern Virginia trip when it travels less than 10 miles to Lexington, VA on February 16 for a 12 p.m. doubleheader against Washington & Lee University.