New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score WINTER HAVEN, FL (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Bowdoin College scored 10 unearned runs off of four Gothic Knight errors, including five unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth as the Polar Bears scored 10 times in the middle innings and defeated New Jersey City University, 15-8, in game two for NJCU on March 14 on the final day of its 2014 baseball spring trip.
 
Bowdoin remains undefeated (5-0) while sending NJCU (1-8) to its sixth straight loss and a 1-6 record in Florida. The Knights have committed 18 errors in their last five games and 24 in nine contests to start the season.
 
NJCU lost despite a pair of big performances from newcomers. Rookie first baseman DAN BERARDI (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) had four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the second inning, batting 1-for-3 (one run) and freshman outfielder JOE COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) had the first hits of his collegiate career, batting 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and a two-run homer. Junior right/center fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) also had a pair of hits (2-4).
 
The Polar Bears had several outstanding offensive efforts, led by left fielder Chad Martin who was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs, while third baseman Sam Canales had three RBIs and one run in a 2-for-5 effort. Right fielder Peter Cimini went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
Also for Bowdoin, catcher Joshua Ellis batted 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI and center fielder Kyle LeBlanc scored three times, including an inside-the-park homerun.  Designated hitter John Lefeber scored three times, walked twice and batted 2-for-2 with a solo homer. Second baseman Cole DiRoberto scored twice.
 
A pair of freshmen did the pitching for the Knights and each was subjected to unearned runs. Left-hander KRIS FELLIN (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) tossed the first 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs (eight total) and 10 hits with four strikeouts and three walks in absorbing the loss (0-2). Right-hander JOE STONE (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) threw the final 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs (seven total) with three strikeouts against four hits and four walks.
 
Bowdoin used four pitchers. Freshman righty Bjorn Hansen earned his first win (1-0), allowing three runs (two earned) and three hits with two walks and one strikeout in 5.1 innings. Righty Sam Herzig retired both batters he faced in relief and sophomore righty Jon Fraser struck out the side in his only inning of work in the seventh. Freshman righty Evan Dumont-LaPointe gave up five runs (three earned) and five hits in two innings, striking out three and walking one.
 
NJCU struck first in the top of the second inning as sophomore designated hitter ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) walked and Berardi became the first Gothic Knight to homer this year, slamming a pitch over the left field wall for a 2-0 lead.
 
Bowdoin answered with the next 10 runs—three in the third, five in the fourth, and two in the fifth before adding three in the sixth.
 
In the third, back-to-back homers for the Polar Bears tied it. LeBlanc slammed a one-out pitch off the left field fence and raced all the way around the bags for an inside-the-parker after the NJCU left fielder was shaken up running into the wall trying to make the catch. Lefeber followed with a traditional homer to left. With two outs, Martin doubled and scored on a single to center by Cimini.
 
Leading 3-2, the Polar Bears scored five unearned runs in the fourth to push the lead to 8-2. A three-run, bases-loaded double to left center by Martin on a 2-2 pitch made it 6-2 before an RBI single by Cimini added to the scoring. The second error of the inning allowed the fifth run to cross.
 
In the fifth with two outs and two men on, a dropped fly ball in left field that should have ended the inning allowed both runners to race home for a 10-2 margin.
 
NJCU got a run back in the sixth as Coutinho reached on a leadoff error and scored on a groundout by Berardi. Now 10-3, the Bears chalked up three more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. In an inning that should have ended had an infield error not occurred, a two-run single by Canales was the most damaging hit, making it 13-3.
 
NJCU attempted to rally and scored twice in the eighth, capitalizing off a Bowdoin error. Berardi had a sac fly in the frame. Bowdoin got the two runs back in the bottom of the eighth on a pair of run-producing groundouts. NJCU scored three runs in the top of the ninth—all with two outs—highlighted by four hits, including a two-run homer to left by Coutinho, but couldn't rally any further.
 
NJCU begins the northern portion of its schedule on March 19 when it visits Moravian College in non-conference action at 4 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa.

Friday, March 14, 2014 | Winter Haven, Fla.
New Jersey City University (1-8)	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	3	8	8	4
Bowdoin College (5-0)	0	0	3	5	2	3	0	2	X	15	14	3
WP: Bjorn Hansen (1-0). LP: KRIS FELLIN (0-2). HR: N-DAN BERARDI (1), JOE COUTINHO (1);  B-Josh Lefeber, Kyle LeBlanc.