CABO ROJO, PUERTO RICO (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior designated hitter/catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) collected six hits in two games to move past three players on the all-time hit list and into fifth place in school history, and his New Jersey City University baseball team split two games on March 11 on day three of the Clemente Cup 2016 Puerto Rico Spring Break trip. Messiah College scored three runs in the fifth inning of game one to edge NJCU in a rematch, 4-3. NJCU bounced back with seven runs in the first two innings of the nightcap to knock off SUNY Canton, 11-7.
 
Niech was a combined 4-for-7 with four runs and two RBIs and with 162 hits, moved past three players including Hall-of-Famer Rich Levens (160 hits) and three-year former teammate Alex Weinstein (161 hits). Meanwhile, NJCU improves to 4-2 on the season and 3-2 on its spring trip.
 
Game 1: Messiah College 4, New Jersey City University 3
Messiah (6-7) scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to claim a 3-2 lead before Kyle Schoen hit what proved to be a game-winning home run in the eighth as the Falcons avenged a 6-5 loss to NJCU on March 9, with another result decided by one run.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, Messiah had two singles and a one-out walk loaded the bases for first baseman Joseph Saufley, who deposited a three-run triple to right center. Saufley was 1-for-2 with a walk in the win.
 
Niech, the designated hitter in the game, was the lone player with multiple hits, increasing his career total to 158. He batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Junior third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
 
Game 2: New Jersey City University 11, SUNY Canton 7
NJCU led 7-0 after two innings before the Roos (3-5) drew within two runs, notching two runs in the second and three in the third, to close within 7-5. Three runs by the Knights in the bottom of the sixth proved too much to overcome.
 
Niech was 4-for-5 with four runs and an RBI and junior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) drove in four runs, batting 3-for-5 with two runs, two steals and a triple. Sophomore first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) hit his second homer of the season and had three RBIs.
 
Also for NJCU, junior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs and sophomore center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), was 3-for-5 with two runs and a double.

Freshman left-hander Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown), who missed all of last year with an injury, finally made his debut for the Knights and earned the win (1-0). In 5.0 innings, he allowed four hits and five runs with three strikeouts and three walks.