BETHLEHEM, PA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Each time the New Jersey City University baseball team scored, Moravian College found a way to answer as Gothic Knight runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings each had a response and the Greyhounds edged NJCU, 6-4, in a non-conference game on March 17.
 
NJCU (6-3) was limited to three hits and had its three-game winning streak snapped. Moravian evened its ledger at 6-6. Each school committed four errors.
 
Junior shortstop Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) scored twice and was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Junior second baseman Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) had one RBI and a hit.
 
Moravian center fielder and leadoff hitter Anthony Gaetaniello was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored and third baseman Alex Bull was 2-for-3 with two runs.
 
Moravian threw six pitchers and the final five for just one inning each. Bryan Schoch, the fifth pitcher, gave up two unearned runs and one hit while facing six batters but became the pitcher of record (1-0) when the Greyhounds scored twice in the bottom of the eighth. Hunter Guard claimed a ninth inning save with one strikeout.
 
NJCU used seven pitchers. Freshman Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), the sixth to throw, took the loss (1-1). He faced three batters but didn't record an out. He gave up one hit and one walk and was charged with two runs (one unearned).
 
Freshman lefty Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) started but received a no decision. In 4.1 innings, he allowed two runs and two hits with a strikeout and three walks.
 
How It Happened:
NJCU had just one hit through the first five innings but struck first when it took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Buchholz reached on a leadoff fielding error, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on a single up the middle by Reinecke.
 
The Greyhounds only had four hits in the first five innings but two came in the bottom of the fifth when they answered NJCU's lead with three runs. Two walks by Kafer and a hit batter by sophomore righty reliever Sean Gibney (Rutherford, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford), loaded the bases before Gaetaniello singled through the left side for a 2-1 lead. Sophomore righty Anthony Keri (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) entered and got the second out but Markowski doubled down the left field line to add a third run.
 
NJCU got a run back in the top of the seventh. Buchholz singled with one out and stole second. Freshman Ray Liguori (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) and Reinecke both walked to load the bases and on an ensuing ground ball to third, Buchholz scored on a fielder's choice throwing error. With the tying run 90 feet away, junior third baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) grounded into an inning-ending double play to shortstop.
 
Once again Moravian countered in the bottom of the inning. After back-to-back groundouts to second, Gaetaniello reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a wild pickoff throw and scored when Mittl singled.
 
NJCU made a run to get back in it in the eighth. Carfora pinch hit and was hit by a pitch. After a fielder's choice, senior first baseman/catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) singled. Junior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) followed with a single and a run came in on an error at first base. With one out and two runners in scoring position, Buchholz lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Niech and the game was even at 4-4.
 
But Moravian again answered in the bottom of the frame. Welles led off with a walk, advanced on a wild pitch and after an error, Bull doubled for a 5-4 lead before he scored an insurance run when the NJCU pitcher dropped the ball on a return from the catcher after a thrown pitch.
 
NJCU grounded out twice to open the ninth. After a two-out error, Guard struck out the final batter looking.
 
OF NOTE:

• Zach Buchholz extends his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games.
• Dmitri Rueger had his on-base streak snapped at 18 consecutive games.
• Nick Ruscingno had his hitting streak snapped at 14 consecutive games.
• Andrew Niech, fifth in school history in hits, added another for his 165th. Next on the list in fourth place is Phil Zaffarano with 167 hits from 1994-97.

 
#NextKnightTime:
For the third consecutive day, NJCU plays a road game to open its northern schedule when it heads to Old Westbury, NY on Friday, March 18 at 3 p.m. to face SUNY Old Westbury.