JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |  On Senior Day 2016 at New Jersey City University, one of its all-time greatest players claimed two more all-time program records. Senior catcher/designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia), the program's only senior, notched his fifth and sixth all-time career records, and ripped his 50th career double and 11th home run. However, it wasn't enough as William Paterson University clinched a New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament berth with a sweep of the NJAC doubleheader, 13-5 and 10-3, on April 30 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Senior Day Photo Gallery

Niech was honored in a pregame ceremony then went out and extended his all-time NJCU records in hits (205), doubles (50), extra-base hits (63) and games played—becoming the first to play in 150 games. In game one he set a program record for career games starts—now at 149—and needing four bases to break the previous total bases record (291), hit a game two homer to eclipse that mark (292). He also moved into second place all-time in RBIs (104) and fourth in homers.
 
William Paterson (20-18, 9-9 NJAC), came into the day in a three-way tie with Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark for the sixth and final NJAC Tournament berth but with a tiebreaker against the other two teams it had swept.
 
WP clinched the final playoff berth with the win—scoring eight runs in the second inning of game one before the Pioneers scored 10 runs with only three hits in game two. The losses drop NJCU to 15-23 (1-17 NJAC) as it wrapped up conference play.
 
Game 1: William Paterson University 13, New Jersey City 5

Sophomore right fielder Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) hit his first two home runs of the season—a grand slam in the eight-run second inning and a solo shot in the fifth—and tallied five RBIs in a 2-for-5, two-run effort as the Pioneers got all the offense it needed in one inning. There were a combined 33 hits in the game; the Pioneers held an 18-15 advantage and registered eight extra-base hits.
 
Niech was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored and sophomore first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, N.J./Middlesex) hit his fourth homer of the season.  Sophomore center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) and junior shortstop Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) each had two hits and one RBI and junior second baseman Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) scored twice.
 
In additional to Hoagland, senior third baseman Victor Sanchez (Haverstraw, N.Y.) batted 4-for-6 with a run and RBI. Senior left fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) doubled twice (12) and was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs while both hits for graduate student shortstop K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) were doubles.
 
In a game where seven Pioneers had multiple hits, junior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) finished 3-for-5 with two runs. Sophomore second baseman Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) added two hits and two runs, junior designated hitter Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) had two hits and junior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) totaled two RBIs.
 
In his ninth start of the season, WP sophomore right-handed pitcher Mario Danza (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township), who had seven no-decisions this season, won his first game (1-1). He survived getting drilled on the thigh in the first inning on a line drive by Niech to throw 8.0 innings, allowing five runs and 14 hits with two strikeouts (one walk) over 120 pitches. Freshman righty Anthony Carfora (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) threw the first five innings and suffered the loss (1-4).
 
Key Moments
In the second inning, Kenny doubled twice to help spark an eight-run, seven-hit attack as 12 men batted. After Kenny doubled over a leaping Rueger in center, Knauf had a high pop up fall in for a hit between the first and second baseman on a miscommunication. Colon singled in the first run to third and Eggert dropped down a sac bunt that became a hit to load the bases. Up came Hoagland who lofted a grand slam over the right field fence for a 5-0 lead. After a walk and single, Kenny hit a two-run double into the left field corner for a 7-0 lead and scored on a two-out throwing error that should have ended the inning (8-0).
 
In the third, Reinecke doubled with one out and scored on a double to left center by Rueger. In the fourth, Abel doubled and scored on a two-out single by Knauf for a 9-1 lead.
 
With one out in the fifth, Hoaglund homered for the second time in the game to right field, a solo shot for a 10-1 lead. Freshman first baseman Garret Wiedemann (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) followed with the sixth extra base hit with a long triple to left. A ground ball to first by Abate knocked in Wiedemann (11-1).
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Reinecke walked, Rueger singled and Niech crushed his 50th career double deep to right center for two RBIs. Buchholz followed with a single up the middle to plate Niech (10-4).
 
In the sixth, a two-out throwing error extended the inning for WP. Abate then drew a bases-loaded walk and Sanchez singled through the left side to increase the lead to 13-4. Berardi crushed the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth over the left field fence for the final run.
 
Game 2: William Paterson University 10, New Jersey City 3
William Paterson was limited to three hits but in one of the oddest final lines of the season, scored 10 times in the win. NJCU outhit the Pioneers, 9-3, but it committed five errors that led to seven unearned runs. Meanwhile, three of NJCU's five pitchers who threw combined to walk 10 batters.
 
With five unearned runs in the sixth, WP led, 6-0 on one hit in the game, an RBI single by Kenny in the first. When it scored its eighth run, the Pioneers had amassed just two hits.
 

Freshman Sean Erhardt (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), making his first collegiate start in right field after 28 games as a pinch runner/hitter and defensive change, had two hits in three at bats and scored once. Junior left fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) climbed into 29th place in school history in hits, batting 2-for-3 with one run, Reinecke was 2-for-4 and Niech hit a solo homer.
 
Kenny was 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two walks to lead the Pioneers and Hoagland didn't have a hit but drove in two runs and scored twice. Abate walked three times, scoring twice. Knauf also chalked up two RBIs and Sanchez scored three times.
 
Freshman righty Elijah Pereira (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) retired nine in a row after a leadoff walk in the third and 13 of 14 from the end of the first until the train derailed for NJCU in the sixth. In the loss (2-3), he allowed one earned run and one hit in 5.1 innings, but walked six. Sophomore righty Anthony Keri (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) extended his single-season record with his 25th appearance in relief and struck out two in an inning of work before being struck by a line drive that forced him out of the game.
 
Freshman righty Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) won for WP (3-1), allowing one run and seven hits in 7.0 innings, while striking out three over 92 pitches.
 
Key Moments
In game two, Sanchez reached on a fielder's choice after a rundown retired a leadoff walk and he scored on a single to third by Kenny for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Erhardt doubled down the right field line in his first at bat as a starter. He was stranded at third.
 
After a pitcher's duel maintained a 1-0 situation through five innings, WP scored five runs without a hit in the sixth inning. WP loaded the bases with a walk, error on a bunt and an intentional walk before Knauf drew a bases loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch. Hoaglund followed with a four-pitch walk to make it 3-0 and Pereira's day was done. Keri came on for his 25th appearance. He got a strikeout looking then struck out Colon with the bases loaded. But on a passed ball,  junior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan)'s throw to first to complete the strikeout sailed high down the right field line and all three runs scored on the miscue, making it 6-0. All five runs in the inning were unearned on four walks, two errors and no hits.
 
In the seventh, Abate led off with a hit by pitch. An error on a sac bunt followed by another sacrifice and intentional walk loaded the bases.  A line drive back to the mound by Knauf off of Keri's hand, pushed across the seventh run and was the first hit since the first inning. It forced Keri out of the game. Freshman righty Corey Nase (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) came in and after hitting a batter, coaxed a double play to end the inning.
 
In the seventh with two outs, Erhardt dropped down a bunt and Reinecke and junior third baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) followed with singles, the latter through the right side to score Erhardt to break up the shutout before NJCU stranded two.
 
In the eighth, Niech broke NJCU's all-time total bases record when his sixth homer of the season and 11th of his career sailed over the center fielder's head and cleared the fence. Ruscingno walked, Buchholz singled and when a fly ball to right that was good enough to be a sac fly was dropped, Ruscingno scored to make it 8-3.
 
Kenny led off the ninth with an odd triple after Ruscingno's momentum carried him over the fence chasing down the long fly ball. A throwing error on a strike three passed ball allowed the ninth run to score. A ground ball plated the 10th run, also unearned.
 
OF NOTE:

• Andrew Niech broke the record for games started (147) set last year by Michael Martucci.
• Andrew Niech, who entered the doubleheader with 285 total bases, broke the program record of 291 by Rob Sumner (2005-08).
• With 104 RBIs, Niech tied Sumner for second place in school history with 104. The record is 126 by Hall-of-Famer Rich Levens from 1986-88.
• Andrew Niech also moved into a tie for fourth place in school history with 11 homers.
• With 111 career hits, Nick Ruscingno moved into a tie for 29th place in school history. He is now tied with Jose Fulgencio (2007-08) and Anthony Mackow (2005-08) and passed Denis Peguero (2001-04, 110 hits), Jeff Gajewski (1993-06, 110 hits) and Tom Burke (2008-10, 108 hits).
• Anthony Keri's 25th pitching appearance is now three more than the previous single-season record. He moved into a tie for third place in NCAA Division III in total appearances—two behind the co-national leaders.

 
#NextKnightTime:
Sunday's makeup game of an April 3 postponement at St. Joseph's College (LI) was cancelled late Saturday. NJCU will play its 39th and final game on Tuesday, May 3 when it hosts New York University at 3:30 p.m. in Jersey City.