JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior left-handed pitcher Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) (Old Bridge, N.J./Saint Joseph-Metuchen) allowed just two hits in eight shutout innings and was an out away from winning it in the ninth, before defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Ramapo College roared back with three runs in the top of the ninth and scored twice in the 10th to steal a 5-3 NJAC win from the New Jersey City University baseball team on April 13 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Junior first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) (Bridgewater, N.J./Middlesex) had a two-run, two-out double in the seventh inning for a 3-0 lead after senior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) made it 1-0 with a two-out RBI triple in the third.
 
Ramapo sophomore right-handed pitcher Kevin Foulds (Sparta, N.J.) won it in relief, retiring all 10 batters he faced in 3.1 innings of work, striking out five. Two Ramapo pitchers combined to strikeout 15 batters.
 
NJCU, playing its second extra-inning game of the week, had its two-game winning streak snapped and falls to 9-12 overall but 1-6 in the NJAC. Ramapo snaps a three-game skid, improving to 10-14 overall and above .500 in the league (4-3). The two squads will complete the home-and-home series on April 14 in Mahwah, N.J.
 
Junior designated hitter Matt Chemis (Sparta, N.J.) was the hero for Ramapo. After his sacrifice fly made it 3-2 in the ninth, he had a two-out, two-run single to center to plate the winning runs.
 
NJCU, playing for the sixth day in a row, has played 81 innings of baseball and nine games in a scheduled backlogged by 15 postponements, and needed a solid pitching performance. Ramirez gave it to NJCU for eight innings.
 

Ramirez ultimately ended up with a frustrating no decision. He went a full 9.0 innings, striking out a career-high matching eight batters against four walks. He allowed just three runs and six hits over 120 pitches. Ramirez struck out the first two batters of the game and four of the first seven through two innings. He allowed just one hit in the first five innings and two singles through eight frames. Ramirez retired Ramapo in order in five of the first eighth innings, including three ground ball outs in the 1-2-3 eighth.
 
Senior righty John Doherty (Pearl River, N.Y.) struck out 10 batters in 6.2 innings but left trailing, 3-0. He allowed three runs and five hits, walking four over 137 pitches. Foulds threw 47 pitches. Sophomore lefty Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown) threw the ninth for NJCU and was an out away from getting through the inning before the winning single. He took the loss (1-3), despite striking out two batters.
 
Berardi's two RBIs led NJCU and senior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) walked twice. NJCU had five hits. Freshman left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro) was on base three times—a pair of hit by pitches and a walk.
 
Chemis was 1-for-3 with the three RBIs. Senior right fielder Rob DeAngelis (Staten Island, N.Y.) was 2-for-5 with two runs. Junior first baseman Connor Walsh (Waldwick, N.J.) had two hits while junior catcher Mario Fontanella (Amston, CT) walked three times. Senior center fielder Brandon Martinez (River Edge, N.J.) walked twice.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After neither team scored in the first two innings, Ramapo had two men on with no outs in the third after a walk and error on a sacrifice attempt. But Ramirez battled back. After a sac pushed two runners into scoring position, he struck out his fifth batter then induced a fly ball to left. In the bottom of the inning sophomore shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) (Helmetta, N.J./Spotswood) and senior third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) (Colonia, N.J./JFK Memorial-Iselin) led off with singles, but Doherty struck out the next batter and two great defensive plays by Ramapo, a running catch in shallow right field by junior second baseman Bobby Shannon (Flanders, N.J.) and a diving stop by sophomore third baseman Vincenzo Sita (Bayonne, N.J.) kept it scoreless.
 
In the fourth, freshman designated hitter Lenin Gomez (Edison, NJ/Edison) (Edison, N.J./Edison) was hit by a pitch and stole second. Pulcine hit a line drive to right and DeAngelis leaped but it was over his head for an RBI triple and a 1-0 lead. LoGatto and senior second baseman Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) combined for an inning-ending double play in the fifth. In the sixth, Ramapo got its first hit since the second inning and walked with two outs before Ramirez came through, striking out Walsh to end the inning with his seventh strikeout.
 
NJCU added what appeared to be vital insurance in the seventh. Feehan was hit by a pitch with two outs before senior center fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. Berardi had come up earlier in the game three times with two outs and a man on and on his fourth opportunity in the seventh he cashed in. Berardi ripped a pitch through the right side for a double that rolled all the way to the gap. The double plated two runs for a 3-0 lead.
 
But in the ninth, Ramapo rallied. DeAngelis led off with a single and scored all the way from first on Walsh's double over the head of Feehan in left. Shannon singled to put runners on the corners and Chemis made it 3-2 with a line drive sac fly. With two outs and Ramapo down to its final strike, Sita singled through the left side to tie the game, 3-3.
 
The teams went to the 10th. DeAngelis doubled with one out and after an intentional walk to set up the force, the Roadrunners again capitalized with two outs. After another walk loaded the bases, Chemis singled on a 0-1 pitch to center for the winning margin. NJCU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th.
 
OF NOTE:

• Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) now has 104 career hits in 119 games and is 40th on the career list.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU and Ramapo complete the two-day series on Friday, April 14 at 3:30 p.m. in Mahwah, N.J. Follow the live stats.