New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

GLASSBORO, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rowan University broke open a 2-2 contest by scoring three runs in the fourth and fifth innings as the Profs completed a two-game home-and home New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball series sweep of New Jersey City University, 9-5, on April 19 at Rowan Stadium.
 
The loss was the fifth in a row for the Gothic Knights (14-17, 3-9 NJAC). Rowan (22-10, 7-5 NJAC) won its fourth straight game while defeating NJCU for the ninth consecutive meeting. The Profs pulled into fourth place in the league with 14 points.
 
For the second day in a row, sophomore third baseman Kevin McMenamin (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) was 3-for-5 to lead Rowan and after scoring twice in a 13-2 win in the series opener on April 18, he scored three times on Friday with one triple.
 
Freshman catcher Stephen Petriello (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two walks, a triple and run scored after batting 3-for-4 with two runs yesterday.
 
Also for Rowan, junior right fielder Eric Sellitto (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) notched two runs and two RBIs in a 1-for-4 showing, sophomore designated hitter Casey Grimes (Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) was 2-for-5, and junior center fielder Eric Perez (Fords, NJ/Woodbridge) finished 2-for-2 with a run and walk.
 
For NJCU, sophomore center/right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), who was 2-for-4 in game one of the series, finishing 3-for-5 to pace the Knights. Senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) batted 2-for-4 with one run and a double, upping his career hits total to 125.
 
Rookie catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) walked twice for the Knights. Senior right/center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) came off the bench to score twice in a 1-for-1 showing (one hit by pitch).
 
The two clubs used a combined 11 pitchers in the game. Rowan used five and senior right-hander Mike Behar (Staten Island, NY) started for Rowan, lasting 2.2 innings in which he allowed two runs and two hits against two walks. Senior left-hander Kyle Brown (Southampton, NJ/Seneca), the second pitcher used, claimed the win (3-2) in relief. In 2.0 innings, he struck out two and walked a pair with two hits against without allowing a run. Three other relievers each allowed one run.
 
Rookie righty JOMAR CASIANO (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) suffered his second straight loss (3-2) after a 3-0 start. In 3.2 innings, he was charged with five runs and seven hits with a strikeout and two walks. The Knights used six pitchers. Junior lefty ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) and senior lefty PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) each threw a scoreless inning in relief.
 
Rowan scored single runs in the first and second innings. In the first, sophomore left fielder Nick Kreiger (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan), who was 1-for-2 with one RBI, one run and two walks, singled to lead off, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Petriello. In the second inning McMenamin led off with a triple and scored on a ground out by Sellitto.
 
NJCU evened the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Junior designated hitter MATT MATLOSZ (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) walked, sophomore shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was hit by a pitch and sophomore third baseman MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) singled to load the bases with no outs. NJCU hit into a double play that pushed across the first run before D'Errico tied the game when he scampered home on a wild pitch. NJCU left two men on in the inning.
 
Rowan began to pull away in the third inning. Three singles by Rowan followed by a bases loaded walk to Kreiger gave the hosts the lead back. After a throwing error by Casiano made it 4-2, two more walks, including a bases-loaded free pass to Petriello increased the lead to 5-2.
 
NJCU had its chances in the top of the fifth on a hit by pitch and two walks before junior righty Brian Sietsma (Mahwah, NJ/Eastern Christian) coerced a line out as the Knights left the bags full.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Grimes and McMenamin singled and Sellitto singled down the left field line to knock in a run. McMenamin later scored on a sac fly and Sellitto made it 8-2 on a wild pitch. The Profs added a ninth run in the eighth inning as Petriello tripled and scored on an RBI single by senior first baseman Sean Kelly (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen).
 
NJCU made it closer with single runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings. In the sixth, Patterson was hit by a pitch after a one-out NJCU single and an RBI single by D'Errico made it 8-3 before NJCU stranded two runners. The Knights left two more on in the seventh. In the eighth, Patterson led off with a single, advanced to third after a pair of ground balls and scored on a wild pitch.  In the ninth, Rivera led off with a double and scored on a groundout by Wagner, but the Knights couldn't mount a further comeback.
 
NJCU will seek to snap the losing streak on Saturday, April 20 at 11:30 a.m. when it visits William Paterson University in an NJAC doubleheader at Jeff Albies Field in Wayne, NJ.