GLASSBORO, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 2/6 ranked Rowan University (29-8, 12-6 NJAC) scored three times in the fifth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit and defeated the New Jersey City University baseball team (19-18, 6-12 NJAC), 5-2, in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the 2018 regular season on April 29 at the Rowan Baseball Field.
 
In a game moved from Jersey City to Glassboro earlier in the day due to field conditions after heavy rains, NJCU batted as the home team and scored single runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings after the Profs put up a run in the top of the first. Rowan held a 13-10 margin in hits in the win. Each team left 10 men on base.
 
Rowan sophomore left-handed pitcher Drew Ryback (Mantua, N.J.) improved to 7-0 on the season. NJCU touched him with two runs, eight hits and three walks in 7.0 innings, but he struck out four. Junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Cartier (Estell Manor, N.J.) earned a two-inning save, striking out four of the eight batters he faced, including the final out of the game, against two hits.
 
Both NJCU runs were driven in by junior center fielder Jesse Kraft (Nutley, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford) who batted 2-for-4. Junior catcher Jan Castellano (Prospect Park, NJ/Paterson Eastside) finished 2-for-4 and sophomore right fielder Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) batted 2-for-5. Junior shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) walked twice and stole his 24th base in 24 attempts this year.
 
For Rowan, ranked No. 2 by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball and No. 6 by D3baseball.com/NCBWA, three players produced three hits apiece.
 
Junior shortstop/third baseman Dillon Mendel (Sparta, N.J.) had two RBIs and was 3-for-5 (one run) while junior first baseman Anthony Harrold (Woodbury, N.J.) drove in two runs on his only hit of the day.
 
Freshman right fielder Nick Schooley (Marlton, N.J.) and senior center fielder Kyle Golla (Palm Coast, Fla.) were each 3-for-4 with one run scored. Sophomore second baseman Alex Kokos Wayne, N.J.) went 2-for-5 (one run).
 
Junior left-handed pitcher Anthony Zicaro (Linden, NJ/Linden) took the loss (2-5). He went the first 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and nine hits. Junior righty Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) struck out two and allowed a run and four hits in 3.2 innings of relief. Senior righty Dan Foley (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.
 
Rowan went ahead 1-0 in the first when Schooley reached on an error that advanced him to second, then scored on a single by Mendel.
 
NJCU tied it in the when Kraft singled to left with two outs to drive in LoGatto, who led off the inning with a walk.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, senior first baseman Dan Berardi (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) doubled down the left field line—his 152nd career hit and 37th double—and two pitches later Kraft drove him in with a double down the right field line, for a 2-1 lead. NJCU stranded two runners in the inning.
 
Rowan went ahead to stay in the top of the fifth, scoring three times on four hits. After a leadoff single by freshman catcher Jared Marks (South Plainfield, N.J.), he moved to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch, then tied the game on an infield single by Mendel. Kokos followed with a single to center and with two men on, Harrold contributed the biggest hit of the game—a two-run double to center to make it 4-2. Marks added a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to push in Golla with a fifth run.
 
NJCU had the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore Lenin Gomez (Edison, NJ/Edison), in his first at bat since being injured against Ramapo on April 13, had a pinch hit single and Pena followed with a two-out infield single before a strikeout looking ended the game.   
 
NOTABLES:

• NJCU extended its single-season team record for doubles to 85 in 37 games.

 
UP NEXT:
In a makeup of a twice postponed match-up, NJCU will head to Collegeville, Pa. to face Ursinus College in a non-conference game on Tuesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. NJCU will also be seeking to makeup its final home game of the season and once that's scheduled, will serve as its new Senior Day.
 
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