JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rutgers University-Newark freshman right-handed pitcher Anthony Rosoline (Prospect Park, N.J./Paramus Catholic) became the first pitcher to shutout the New Jersey City University baseball team this season, tossing a complete-game victory as the Scarlet Raiders posted a 3-0 win over NJCU in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on April 8 at the Thomas. M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
NJCU falls to 13-7 (0-3 NJAC), losing in its home conference opener. The Gothic Knights had scored less than three runs in only one of their first 19 games coming in—a 3-1 loss to Ramapo on April 2. Rutgers-Newark (9-14, 1-2 NJAC) snaps a three-game losing streak while picking up its first conference win. NJCU lost despite an 8-5 margin in hits. The Knights committed four errors in the game but none led to a run.
 
Rosoline, a three-time NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week, improved to 6-0 on the season. Now responsible for two-thirds of the Raiders' wins this year, he tossed his first complete game. Over 106 pitches, he struck out five—all looking—walked one, and gave up eight hits.   
 
Junior third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) was 0-for-4, including two balls hit well to right that RUN senior right fielder Billy Taylor (Allendale, NJ/Northern Regional) made great defensive plays on. Buchholz had his on-base streak snapped at 36 consecutive games—third longest in NJCU history and sixth longest in NJAC annals.
 
Freshman lefty Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown) lost for the first time as a collegian (2-1). In 5.0 innings he struck out five and walked three. He allowed just two runs and four hits.
 
Sophomore righty Anthony Keri (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex), the second of four pitchers, allowed one run and one hit in 2.0 innings of relief, walking three. Freshman righty Anthony Carfora (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) had a strikeout (one walk) in a scoreless eighth inning of relief while freshman righty Elijah Pereira (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) threw a 1-2-3 ninth.
 

In defeat, junior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) was 3-for-4 with three singles and sophomore first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, N.J./Middlesex) batted 2-for-4. RUN sophomore designated hitter Ross Halkias (Kinnelon, NJ) was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI for the Raiders.
 
The clubs played five innings of scoreless baseball before RUN broke through in the sixth. An infield single by senior first baseman Cameron Dias (Madison, NJ/Madison) and sophomore catcher Justin Marks (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) was hit by a pitch. With two on and no outs, Kafer left. A walk loaded the bases before Halkias plated the first run of the game with a single to center. With one out, freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) had a pop up to shallow right. Marks challenged the relay and when the throw was high, scored the second run on what became a sacrifice fly.
 
The Raiders added another in the seventh. Senior shortstop Gerry Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) walked, stole second and scored on a fielder's choice with one out when NJCU tried for an unsuccessful inning-ending double play.
 
The Raiders had previously loaded the bases with one out in the fourth before Kafer persevered, getting Zucker to ground into an 6-4-3 double play. RUN also left the bases loaded in the eighth.
 
NJCU had its chances. In the second junior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) and Coutinho each singled but NJCU stranded both runners. In the sixth, junior left fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) doubled with two outs but was stranded at second. Meanwhile, the Knights left two on in the seventh. Berardi and Coutinho singled back-to-back with one out, down 3-0, before Rosoline struck out the next two batters looking.
 
OF NOTE:

• Zach Buchholz' on-base streak was snapped at 36 consecutive games. It is the third longest in NJCU history and sixth longest ever in the NJAC. In second place at NJCU (fifth in NJAC) is teammate Eric Giordano with 38 games. The NJAC and school record is 50 straight games by Jose Fulgencio from 2007-08.
• Senior designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) still has 184 hits in 132 career games. NJCU's star senior was 0-for-4 and is in a 1-for-14 slump against NJAC pitching.

 
#NextKnightTime:
NJCU's next doubleheader at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. is postponed on Saturday, April 9. The clubs will play two on Sunday, April 10 with first pitch slated for 12:30 p.m. The Profs are 13-9, 3-0 NJAC.