PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University (16-11) won its 16th game, splitting a pair of seven-inning non-conference games at St. Joseph's College on April 17. The Eagles (13-14) scored three in the first and fourth innings to claim the opener, 8-6 before the Gothic Knights responded with a four-run fifth inning in the nightcap, winning 5-3.
 
Sophomore right fielder Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) was a combined 4-for-7 with three RBIs in the doubleheader. Freshman right-handed pitcher Jason Rivera (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) and junior right Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) combined to strike out 10 batters in game two.
 
GAME 1: St. Joseph's (LI) 8, New Jersey City 6
The Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the first and leading 4-1, added three runs in the fourth to seize a 7-1 margin. NJCU scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth to draw within two but ran out of innings in the seven-inning matchup.
 
Four SJCLI pitchers limited NJCU to five hits. Junior righty Anthony Caminiti (Wantagh, N.Y.) went the first 3.0 innings, allowing one hit with a pair of K's. Freshman righty Thomas Crispyn (Freeport, N.Y.) pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn the save. He allowed one hit with a strikeout and two walks.
 
Junior left-handed pitcher Anthony Zicaro (Linden, NJ/Linden) took the loss for NJCU (2-3), allowing four runs and five hits in 2.1 innings to open the game as the first of five Knights to throw.
 
For the Eagles, sophomore third baseman Tyler Sanderson (Hauppauge, N.Y.) was 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI while junior first baseman Paul Britt (Commack, N.Y.) was 2-for-4. Senior left fielder Lou Doria (Wantagh, N.Y.) scored twice.
 
Pena drove in half of NJCU's runs, batting 2-for-3 with three RBIs and senior center fielder Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) walked three times. Junior shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) scored twice (1-for-3, one RBI).
 
The Eagles outhit NJCU, 9-5, and put up three runs on four hits in the first inning. An RBI double by Sanderson made it 1-0. Two more runs came in on a groundout and a throwing error. Junior catcher Daniel Campanelli (Bayport, N.Y.) made it 4-0, singling in Doria, who doubled with one out. An RBI double by Pena in the fourth got NJCU on the board.
 
SJCLI put up three runs in the bottom of the fourth to grab a 7-1 lead and the eventual winning margin, despite tallying just one hit in the frame. The Eagles capitalized on four walks and a hit by pitch in the inning.
 
NJCU got three runs back in the top of the fifth to draw within 7-4, also on just one hit. After a leadoff double by junior third baseman Matt Corsi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East), a walk and a hit by pitch, Ramirez drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Pena was hit by the next pitch to push across the third run and sophomore left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) walked with the bags full for the fourth run.
 
After the Eagles forged another run in the fifth on a triple to center by Britt, to score Sanderson, NJCU drew within 8-6 in the top of the sixth. Corsi walked to lead off and scored on a two-out triple by LoGatto. After walks to Ramirez and senior first baseman Dan Berardi (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), Pena slipped an infield single to shortstop. But a foul out ended the inning as NJCU left three men on and was unable to rally in the seventh.
 
GAME 2: New Jersey City 5, St. Joseph's (LI) 3
NJCU led 1-0 after four innings before chalking up four runs in the fifth for a 5-0 and behind the pitching of Rivera and Carfora, prevailed, 5-3.
 
Rivera earned his first collegiate win (1-0), striking out six against two walks in 5.0 innings. He allowed one earned run and just six hits. Carfora nailed down his second save of the season, striking out four of the eight batters he faced in 2.0 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.
 
Pena led the NJCU offense, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored and Corsi was 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Feehan was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Junior second baseman Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) batted 2-for-3. Freshman designated hitter Mike McLaughlin (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) made his first collegiate start count, batting 1-for-2 with an RBI and double.
 
Junior designated hitter Michael Ferrufino (Levittown, N.Y.) was the lone SJCLI player with multiple hits, batting 2-for-4. Junior lefty Nick Mannarino (Levittown, N.Y.) took the loss despite allowing just one run and four hits in 4.0 innings, striking out six (one walk).
 
NJCU went ahead in the second when Feehan led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Corsi.
 
Four runs on three hits in the fifth made the margin too much to overcome. Ramirez singled, move to second on a wild pitch and third on a bunt single by Pena before scoring on an error. A sacrifice fly by Berardi scored LoGatto and a single by Corsi made it 4-0. A sac fly by McLaughlin pushed the lead to 5-0.
 
Two errors by NJCU in the fifth got the Eagles closer (5-2). After a leadoff triple by junior Anthony Raucci (Seaford, N.Y.) and RBI single by Sanderson cut the lead to 5-3 before Carfora entered and shut the door.
 
NOTABLES:

• NJCU has won 16 or more games 14 times in its history: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2013, 2015, 2017.
• NJCU has won 16 or more games in consecutive seasons for the fourth time in its history.
• Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) had his 22-game on-base streak snapped in game one.
• Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) now has an active 21-game on-base streak.

 
UP NEXT:

• In a make-up game moved from Brooklyn to Jersey City, NJCU will next face St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) on Wednesday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in non-conference action at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Bears come in at 3-23 and 0-14 on the road.

 
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