JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University baseball was playing meaningful games in the final home doubleheader of the season but narrowly missed out on the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament as the Gothic Knights and Rutgers-Camden split a doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on April 29. In a pair of see-saw games, NJCU couldn't hold onto a three-run lead in the opener and fell, 8-4, but rallied with two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth in game two for a 13-9 triumph in the nightcap.
 
While NJCU (17-18, 6-12 NJAC) needed two win both games with RU-Camden (14-22, 5-13 NJAC) and get home to make the NJAC Tournament, the Knights remain alive for a potential ECAC Tournament appearance and school record for victories. To be in contention to qualify for ECACs, the Knights will need to win two of their final three non-conference games next week against NYU and Moravian.
 
Senior center/left fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had three hits in the doubleheader, including his final two at bats, to become the 10th player in school history to reach the 150 career hits plateau and the fourth to do so in the six-year tenure of head coach Jerry Smith.
 
Meanwhile, senior right fielder/designated hitter Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) drove in a combined seven RBIs in the doubleheader including a career-high five in the nightcap, batting 4-for-7 (two runs) with his second homer of the season. Junior first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) scored five runs and tallied four RBIs, batting 4-for-7 with his fifth homer of the season and 10th of his career while doubling once.
 
Junior Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen), who received a no-decision in a win over No. 29 Rowan on Thursday, pinch hit late in game one before playing right in game two and batted 4-for-5 with four runs scored. Senior third baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ /South Plainfield) had five hits on the day.
 
For the Raptors, freshman center fielder John Tedeschi (Haddonfield, N.J.) led the visitors batting 5-for-9 with three doubles and two runs and sophomore second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, N.J.) had four hits (4-10), three RBIs and tallied his 100th career hit in 68 games.
 
The two clubs combined for 59 hits in the two games with Camden outhitting NJCU, 31-28. The winner of each game had 17 hits.

 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Rutgers-Camden 8, New Jersey City 4
NJCU led 3-0 after one inning and after Camden tied it in the fourth, regained a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the inning. But the Raptors tied it in the seventh, went ahead 5-4 in the eighth and added three crucial insurance runs in the ninth to win by four runs. The Raptors outhit NJCU, 17-11.
 
Tedeschi led all players, batting 4-for-4 with three doubles and was on base five times (one walk). Freshman first baseman Matt Yanick (Palmyra, N.J.) drove in three runs and was 2-for-4 with a home run while Jones, freshman third baseman Tyler Travis (Berlin, N.J,), freshman designated hitter Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, N.J.) and senior catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, N.J.) each had two hits.
 
Born batted 3-for-5 (one run, one RBI) in the leadoff spot while Coutinho had a two-run single. Freshman left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) was 2-for-3.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Carter Fichter (Haddonfield, N.J.) threw a complete-game to win (3-2) for Camden, striking out seven (no walks) and four runs (11 hits) over 121 pitches. After starting sophomore lefty Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) went the first 6.0 innings, sophomore righty Jose Ortiz (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) suffered his first loss in five decisions (4-1).
 
How It Happened:
In the bottom of the first, Born and Feehan singled and with one out and Berardi doubled to deep center for a 1-0 lead. A two-run single to left on a 3-2 pitch to Coutinho scored Feehan and Berardi for a 3-0 lead.
 
In the second, Camden's Theckston was on second after a single and error and tried to score on a single to right but was thrown out by Coutinho and a great lunging tag by senior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan).
 
RUC scored three runs on five hits in the fourth when Yanick led off with a homer. The fourth hit of the inning was Tedeschi's second double and third hit in three at bats to make it 3-2 with two outs before senior right fielder Zach Ellin (Marlton, N.J.) singled in the tying run.
 
NJCU regained the lead, 4-3, in the fourth on an RBI single by Born—his third hit in as many at bats, scoring Pulcine who singled with one outs. Sophomore shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) tripled for the first time in his career with two outs in the sixth but was stranded.
 
Tedeschi led off the seventh with his third double and fourth hit (4-4) and on a 3-2, two-out pitch, Jones drove a single to left that Feehan could not catch, to tie it. After NJCU couldn't plate a runner from second in the seventh, Theckston led off the eighth with a double. After a sac bunt and line drive out at second base with senior second baseman Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) playing in on the grass, Travis hit a chopper back to the mound that caromed off the glove of Ortiz, and the middle infield could not throw him out as Camden led for the first time, 5-4.
 
Camden finished the job in the ninth. Stoots and Jones singled and Yanick doubled to deep left center for two runs and a 7-4 lead before a sacrifice fly added the eighth run.
 
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS: New Jersey City 13, Rutgers-Camden 9
Coutinho and Berardi combined for eight RBIs and each homered as NJCU won for the 17th time, outhitting the Raptors, 17-14. Coutinho knocked in five RBIs, batting 3-for-3 with two runs while Berardi scored four times, hitting 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
Ramirez scored four times in a 3-for-4 effort while Ruscingno collected two RBIs, and was 2-for-5 (one run) to reach the milestone. Born added two hits (2-for-5)
 
Sophomore righty Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) started and went 5.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs before being relieved by high school teammate and sophomore righty Corey Nase (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), who earned his second career win and first of the season (1-0) in relief, tossing 2.0 innings with no earned runs (two total) and two hits. LoGatto came on in the eighth and locked down the win, picking up his first career save with two strikeouts and one run in 2.0 innings.
 
For RUC, junior third baseman Brett Kuchera (Collingswood, N.J.) was 3-for-4 with two runs and Jones was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Junior left fielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, N.J.) came on in relief, scoring twice (2-for-3). Travis scored twice and freshman shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, N.J.) had two hits. Junior Tommy Dolaghan (Harrison, N.J.) was the loser in one inning of relief (0-2).
 
How It Happened:
Similar to game one, Coutinho gave NJCU a lead in the first with another two-run knock, this time a double to score Ramirez and Berardi who singled back-to-back to start a two-out rally.
 
After Jones and Yanick led off the second with back-to-back hard hit infield singles, Carfora battled back to get the next three outs including a force at second to end the inning. Feehan led off the third with a single and on a 3-2 one-out pitch, Berardi drilled his fifth homer over the right center fence for a 4-0 lead.
 
Camden cut the deficit in half in the fifth. After two walks and an error on a potential double play ball, Jones had a two-run double to left center. Stoots grounded out to drive in the second unearned run of the inning (4-3). Jones, on third representing the tying run, was caught in a rundown in a delayed double steal with runners on the corners, to end the inning.
 
NJCU got three back in the fifth. Ramirez singled with one out, Berardi walked and Coutinho drilled his second homer of the season—a three-run shot over the right field fence for a 7-3 lead. Coutinho was making his first start at designated hitter since his sophomore year when he started 17 times in that spot.

 
Camden got three straight singles to open the sixth and Nase replaced Carfora. A ground ball to third should have resulted in a force play at the plate but was misplayed into an unearned run. A sacrifice fly made it 7-5 and a ground ball drove in another unearned run to make it 7-6 as RUC scored three runs for the second inning in a row.
 
RUC tied it in the seventh. After a one-out error, Kuchera doubled and a ground ball by Gerold that should have ended the inning had the error not occurred, tied it 7-7. The inning continued and Tedeschi singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch for another unearned run that gave RUC the lead, 8-7. Six of the first eight Camden runs were unearned on three errors.
 
NJCU rallied in the seventh. Ramirez and Coutinho walked, sandwiched around a single by Berardi, to load the bases with one out against Dolaghan. Against a new pitcher, Ruscingno lined a single through the drawn in left side to tie it, 8-8. A ground ball to second by Reinecke pushed in Berardi for a 9-8 lead. NJCU left the bases loaded.
 
LoGatto entered in relief and threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning. After senior Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin), who entered at shortstop in a defensive role in the top half of the inning, led off with a single in his first at bat of the twinbill, Ramirez doubled to right on a 3-2 count for his third hit.. A Berardi sac fly made it 10-8. Coutinho singled and Ruscingno deposited a single to right field for his 150th hit and an 11-8 lead. Two more runners came in on throwing errors on a steal and an errant check of a runner.
 
Camden threatened in the ninth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs and a Theckston single made it 13-9. But three times RUC could not capitalize with the tying run at the plate, as Tedeschi popped up and LoGatto struck out Ellin and Stoots to end the game.
 
OF NOTE:

• Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) notched his 148th, 149th and 150th career hits to move into the Top 10 in school history in his 134th game. He eclipsed Charlie Auletto (148 hits, 1993-95) and Jonathan Thomas (2001-04, 149 hits) on the all-time list. In ninth place is Dave Long (1987-90, 154 hits).
• For Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), the five RBIs were a career high. Coutinho previously had four RBIs (3-for-5, 2 runs) vs. SUNY Canton in Puerto Rico on March 11, 2016 and four RBIs in a 4-for-4 effort with two doubles in a road upset of No. 25 Kean on April 1, 2017.
• Now with 126 hits in 123 games, Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) moved into the Top 20 in school history, passing NJCU Hall of Famer Joe Wells (123 hits, 1978-91) and Anthony Squeglia (1986-89, 122 hits).
• Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin) is 35th with 109 hits in 131 games.
• Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) is now tied for 39th in school history with 105 hits in 84 games.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will host a special Senior Day on Wednesday, May 3 when it takes on regionally-ranked New York University. Prior to the game, NJCU will honor its accomplished seven-man senior classic, including Born, Buchholz, Coutinho, Pulcine, Reinecke, Ruscingno and right-handed pitcher Joe Stone (Metuchen, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin).
 
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