NEWARK, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rutgers University-Newark scored seven runs in the second inning and led 12-1 before knocking off the New Jersey City University baseball team, 15-8, in a makeup New Jersey Athletic Conference game on April 11 at Riverfront Stadium.
 
In a makeup of an April 7 rainout, Rutgers-Newark (11-15, 3-3 NJAC) completed the season sweep of the home-and-home series after also upending NJCU (13-8, 0-4 NJAC), 3-0, on April 8 in Jersey City. Each team committed five errors.
 
The Scarlet Raiders had a 21-10 margin in hits and added four runs in the third inning. NJCU had allowed 10 or more hits just three times in the first 20 games of the season prior to Monday and the 21 hits are seven more than the previous high.
 
The Scarlet Raiders had six players tally multiple hits, led by senior shortstop Gerry Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and senior right fielder Billy Taylor (Allendale, NJ/Northern Regional) who scored three times in a 3-for-4 showing.
 
Starting pitcher Ryan MacFarlane was 3-for-5 with four steals, two runs and two RBIs. In 6.0 innings on the mound, he evened his mark at 2-2, allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks before moving to designated hitter. Anthony Hernandez was credited with a save, throwing the final three innings.
 
In the loss for NJCU, sophomore designated hitter Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, N.J./Middlesex) drove in two runs (1-for-4) and sophomore center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) was 2-for-4 with two steals, a run and RBI.  Junior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) batted 2-for-5 (one run).  Junior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) had three stolen bases and scored twice (1-for-3).
 
Also for RU-Newark, left fielder Josh Cote was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, third baseman Brian Boulineau had two hits and two runs (one RBI) and center fielder Anthony Perconte had two hits and three stolen bases.
 
How It Happened
Scoreless after one, the Raiders sent 11 men to the plate in the second inning. Perconte had two hits in the inning—the second making it a 7-0 lead. An RBI single by Boulineau got RUN on the board before Cote doubled in two runs and a groundout by freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) made it 4-0. An RBI single by MacFarlane added a fifth run and when he stole second, Patrizio, who earlier had the fourth hit in the inning, scored the sixth run on the throw.
 
NJCU got on the board in the top of the third when Coutinho walked, stole second and third and scored on a balk. But the Raiders added four key runs in the bottom of the inning as Patrizio and senior first baseman Cameron Dias (Madison, NJ/Madison) each generated two-run singles in the frame. RUN had four hits and were aided by two errors as the lead jumped to 11-1. An infield single in the fourth by Patrizio—one of four hits in the inning—made it 12-1.
 
NJCU scored some late runs to give themselves a chance. An RBI single by Rueger in the fifth and two runs in the sixth, including an RBI single by Berardi, drew NJCU within 12-4. RUN got a run back in the sixth on an RBI single by MacFarlane. Rueger doubled in the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia).
 
Leading 13-5, Newark added two runs on four hits in the eighth. The Knights scored three times in the ninth.
 
Sophomore left-hander Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, N.J./Saint Joseph-Metuchen), the first of seven pitchers, lasted 1.1 innings and took the loss (1-2).
 
OF NOTE:

• The previous opponent season high for hits was Lehman with 14 on March 22.
• Andrew Niech still has 184 hits in 133 career games. NJCU's star senior was 0-for-3 and is in a 1-for-17 slump against NJAC pitching.

 
#NextKnightTime:
Weather permitting, NJCU will face FDU-Florham in a non-conference game in Madison, NJ on Tuesday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m. Follow live stats at: http://sidearmstats.com/fduf/baseball/.