VALHALLA, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) and senior designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) each drove in two runs in the top of the ninth inning as the New Jersey City University baseball team scored six times in the frame to break a 3-3 deadlock and defeated Baruch College, 9-3, in a non-conference game played at Westchester Community College.
 
NJCU improved to 10-4 overall, winning for the third straight outing and fourth time in five games. NJCU outhit Baruch (6-11) by a 10-7 margin.
 
On a day with a predetermined rotation of sophomore left-hander Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen), freshman right-handed pitcher Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), and freshman righty Corey Nase (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), each young arm allowed just one run.
 
Nase threw the final two innings and picked up his first collegiate win (1-0) after previously notching a pair of saves. In 2.0 innings, he allowed one run on one hit with a strikeout and walk.
 
Ramirez, who will likely throw again this weekend when the Gothic Knights open New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play, struck out five without issuing a walk in 3.0 innings. He allowed one run on three hits. Carfora bridged the two pitchers, tossing 4.0 innings. He allowed one run and three hits with a strikeout and walk.  
 
Junior third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) extended his on-base streak to 31 consecutive games. He scored three times, batted 2-for-4 while LoGatto was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.
 
Sophomore first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and walk. Niech, the NJAC Player of the Week, drove in two runs and moved into a tie for third place in school history in hits; junior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) scored twice.
 

Baruch center fielder Luca Altamirano was 2-for-4 with one run and on RBI in the leadoff role while catcher Robert McMahon scored twice, batting 2-for-4. Third baseman Jasdeep Buttar walked twice.
 
Ryan Warner lost for Baruch. He lasted into the ninth inning, officially throwing 8.0 innings, with four earned runs and seven hits against with five strikeouts and a walk.
 
NJCU scored twice in the second inning. Buchholz led off with a triple before Pulcine pushed him across. An RBI single by Berardi made it 2-0.
 
After Baruch got a run back in the bottom of the third on an Altamirano double, NJCU reclaimed a two-run, 3-1 lead in the fourth when Buchholz led off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a Berardi single and scored on a fielder's choice by junior left fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck).
 
Baruch tallied single runs in the seventh and eighth to tie it. McMahon doubled in the seventh before scoring on an RBI single by shortstop Joseph Cali. Altamirano doubled to lead off the eighth before a sac bunt and a sacrifice fly by second baseman Matthew Ballone pushed the run in.  
 
But in the ninth, 11 Gothic Knights came to the plate. Buchholz and Pulcine singled and when Buchholz held up at third, he crossed the plate with the go-ahead run on a subsequent throwing error. From there, the floodgates opened. After two walks loaded the bases, LoGatto singled in two runs to push the lead to 6-3. The third walk of the inning loaded the bases again and Niech registered the record-extending 43rd double of his career to knock in two more runs and make it 8-3. Junior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) capped the inning with an RBI single.
 
OF NOTE:

• Zach Buchholz extends his on-base streak to 31 consecutive games.
• Andrew Niech moved into a tie for third place in school history with 177 hits in 126 games. He tied Rob Gonzalez who had 177 hits from 2009-11. He has a 14-game hitting streak to open the season and 15 games overall.

 
#NextKnightTime:
In the second day of three straight games, NJCU will host Maritime College (11-5) on Wednesday, March 30 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. Originally scheduled for 3:30 p.m., the first pitch has been moved back half an hour to 4 p.m. Follow the live broadcast (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/Live) and live stats (http://www.sidearmstats.com/njcu/baseball/).