New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

WINTER HAVEN, FL (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University scored four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple by senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) and received solid pitching from the trio of junior left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken), junior lefty PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) and sophomore right-hander KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) as NJCU improved to 2-0 on its spring break trip with a 5-3 win over Medaille College on March 10 at Chain of Lakes Park Field #2.

NJCU (5-4) moves above .500 for the first time this season and the first time since March 27, 2002. Medaille falls to 1-1. The Mavericks scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings after NJCU gained a 1-0 lead after three frames.
 
Markle improved to 3-2 in his career by winning his first start of the season (1-0) and retired the first 10 batters of the game in order. In six innings, he allowed three earned runs against six hits, with three strikeouts without issuing a walk over 65 pitches.
 
Garcia threw 2.1 innings of hitless baseball in relief and maintained a perfect 0.00 ERA in 10.2 innings over five appearances this season. The lefty did walk two batters and hit a pair over 33 pitches, but didn't allow a run. DeMauro relieved Garcia after a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth and retired the final two batters for his first save of the year and second of his career.
 
Patterson was 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and run scored while senior second baseman PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Rivera was 1-for-4 with the two-run triple. Sophomore right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Medaille's top hitter was junior left fielder/third baseman Korey Hagan (Grand Island, NY) at 2-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a solo homerun. Sophomore first baseman TJ Serba (Tonawanda, NY) was 2-for-3 with one run.
 
Junior right-hander Jordan Wansart (Buffalo, NY) took the loss, allowing all five runs and 10 hits over 106 pitches in 7.0 innings. He walked three and fanned one. Junior lefty Cory Bukowski (Depew, NY) walked four in two-thirds of an inning before sophomore Jake Tyno (Amherst, NY) moved from shortstop to the mound to get the last out in the eighth inning when NJCU left the bases loaded for the second time in the game.  
 
“Basically at this stage of the game, we're happy to get the wins this early, but we have to start playing better,” said second-year head coach Jerry Smith. “We haven't been able to put all four components of the game together—pitching, defense, hitting and base-running. When we do, the sky's the limit, but we have to be able to build up our consistency.”
 
NJCU gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third as Wagner led off with a double and scored on a Patterson first pitch double. Senyszyn was hit by a pitch with one out before the Knights stranded two runners.

Medaille tied it in the fourth as Hagan broke up the perfect game with a one-out double before scoring on an RBI single by senior designated hitter Pat Leipold (Painted Post, NY). Medaille took a 2-1 lead in the fifth; Serba led off with a single before scoring on a sacrifice fly.

But NJCU notched four runs and four hits in the fifth. Sophomore NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), making his first NJCU start at shortstop, walked and Patterson singled before both players advanced on a balk. Senyszyn singled through the left side to tie the game. Rivera came up, worked the count full, and ripped the sixth pitch he saw onto the right-center warning track for a two-run triple and a 4-2 lead before sophomore third baseman MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) knocked Rivera in with an RBI single.

Medaille drew within two runs when Hagen lifted a 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for his first career homerun to make it 5-3. Leipold later reached on an error and Serba doubled. Senior righty Mike Volpe (Niagara Falls, NY) ripped a line drive to shallow right field but Wagner made the defensive play of the game, saving two runs with a sliding catch to end the threat.

NJCU left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. After hitting two batters in the seventh, Garcia worked out of trouble with a force out at third. He notched three ground ball outs in the eighth and the first out in the ninth before walking a batter. DeMauro coaxed a pop up to second and a ground ball to second to end the game.
 
Day three of the Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational features NJCU facing Swarthmore College at 9:45 a.m. at Lake Myrtle Field #4 in Auburndale, FL. Fan can follow the live broadcast of the game on NJCUGothicKnights.com or with live stats, and via Twitter at the @NJCU_Athletics handle.