New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) collected four consecutive singles and swiped four bases, junior designated hitter MATT MATLOSZ (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) drove in three runs and New Jersey City University took advantage of 11 walks issued by John Jay College's pitching staff as the Gothic Knights cruised past the Bloodhounds, 9-2, in a non-conference baseball game on March 26 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
NJCU improves to 8-5 overall and wins for the fifth time in six games. Five Gothic Knight pitchers limited John Jay (0-1) to one earned run and three singles. NJCU left 12 men on base, but scored four times in the first inning and two more in the fourth and sixth frames to put the game out of reach. JJC left 11 runners on base.
 
Patterson, who had hit leadoff in the first 12 games of the season, was 4-for-5 with three runs and his 11^th, 12^th, 13^th and 14^th steals of the season in 16 attempts while raising his batting average from .396 to .434. He also extended his hitting streak to eight games and reached base for the 15^th consecutive game dating to last season.
 
Matlosz was 1-for-4 with three RBIs and a sacrifice fly and rookie catcher/third baseman ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) added two RBIs and three walks in a 1-for-2, one-run showing.
 
Also for NJCU, senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) and sophomore right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) each drew three walks. Each player tallied a run scored and an RBI.
 
Junior left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) made his second start of the season and only allowed one unearned run and two hits in 4.0 innings of work, striking out two with five walks over 92 pitches. He didn't qualify for the win after leaving the game with two runners on base and no outs in the top of the fifth.
 
Rookie right-hander NICK DEMARCO (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) was credited with the win in relief—the first decision of his career (1-0), after he successfully navigated the fifth inning over 16 pitches, striking out one batter.
 
NJCU used five pitchers overall. Rookie righty TOMMY TRELA (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) was outstanding in 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit over 15 pitches. Senior lefty PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) hurled the final two perfect innings, retiring all six batters he faced over 29 pitches, including three strikeouts. His ERA fell to 0.66 with 14 strikeouts in 13.2 innings over seven appearances.
 
John Jay used four pitchers in the contest. Sophomore Nico Rivera (Brooklyn, NY) suffered the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) and four hits, with three K's and three walks in two innings.
 
NJCU started two different corner infielders in the game, including sophomore DELIO COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), NJCU's left-handed closer, at first base. He walked to lead off the game, advanced on a sacrifice, stole third and scored on an errant throw into left field. Patterson singled, stole second, advanced to third on a balk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rivera. When a dropped fly at third base left the inning alive, Matlosz slipped a 0-2 pitch through the right side of the infield for a 4-0 margin.
 
NJCU left the bases loaded in the second, fourth and sixth innings, but plated runs in the latter two frames. In the fourth, NJCU second baseman PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) reached on a one-out error, Patterson singled and stole second after Senyszyn advanced on a wild pitch, and Niech drove both runners home with a double down the right field line for a 6-0 cushion.
 
JJC scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, after an error loaded the bases, an outfield fielder's choice recorded an out at third but ended the shutout bid when an unearned run scored. The Bloodhounds loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter in the sixth before scoring on an error to make it a 6-2 game. Trela entered in relief and closed the door, coaxing a force at the plate and another force at second to end the threat.
 
NJCU put the game away with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Patterson singled and stole second yet again. Rivera and Niech walked to load the bags and when Wagner waited out the third consecutive base on balls on a 3-2 count, Patterson scored the seventh run. Sophomore shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) pushed home the eighth run on a bunt attempt and reached on an error before NJCU left the bases full. Matlosz had a sac fly in the eighth to account for NJCU's final fun and Garcia recorded the final six outs to summarize the victory.
 
NJCU will next face Lehman College on Thursday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. at NJCU's Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.