JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Led by a career-high five RBIs, including a three-run homer by senior center fielder Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) and a near complete-game effort by junior left-handed pitcher Anthony Zicaro (Linden, NJ/Linden), the New Jersey City University baseball team (11-5, 2-1 NJAC) scored 14 consecutive runs to build a 14-1 lead and breezed by Rutgers-Newark (6-13, 0-3 NJAC) in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home series on April 5 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
In a game played under blustery wind conditions on a cold spring day in the Northeast, the Gothic Knights won for the sixth time in seven games and are 2-1 after three conference games for the first time since the 2009 season.
 
NJCU scored three or more runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings before its reserves tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth. The 14 runs are the most allowed by the Scarlet Raiders in 19 games this season.
 
Ramirez, who came to NJCU primarily as a left-handed pitcher in 2015, had only 30 at bats in his first two seasons and 45 in 2017, mostly in the latter half of his junior campaign when he had just three RBIs. While his ERA has plummeted to 2.79, as an everyday player in 2018 he's contributed mightily at the plate with 15 RBIs on the season and his five RBIs against RU-Newark match junior shortstop Nick LoGatto's season high of five against Albion on March 6.
 
Ramirez batted 2-for-4 with five RBIs, his first career homer and two runs scored while sophomore designated hitter Lenin Gomez (Edison, NJ/Edison) knocked in two runs and scored twice, batting 3-for-5 with one of NJCU's six doubles in the game.
 
A week after throwing 8.1 innings in a win at Old Westbury to garner his first win of the season, Zicaro nearly notched his first career complete game in 8.2 innings. Over 139 pitches, he struck out seven and walked two and trailing 1-0, did not allow a run between the third and eighth innings. Overall he gave up just six hits and three runs and limited Rutgers-Newark to three hits in the first eight innings—all scattered doubles.
 
NJCU junior second baseman Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) was on base four times—two walks and a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, with two RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore right fielder Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) stole two more bases (15-for-17) and scored three times in a 2-for-4, one walk showing.
 
Also for the Gothic Knights as part of a 16-hit attack, LoGatto had two hits and junior catcher Jan Castellano (Prospect Park, NJ/Paterson Eastside) had two RBIs, batting 1-for-3 with a run scored. Freshman Mike McLaughlin (Clifton, NJ/Clifton)'s first career hit in the eighth inning also produced an RBI. Freshman right-handed pitcher Jason Rivera (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.
 
For the Scarlet Raiders, sophomore first baseman Connor Clare (Rutherford, N.J.), who entered the game as a pinch hitter, was the RUN player with multiple hits, batting 2-for-2 with an RBI.
 
The Raiders used four pitchers. Senior lefty Dominick Fazio (Haworth, N.J.) started and took the loss (0-3), giving up four runs and five hits in 3.0 innings with three strikeouts (three walks).
 
MAJOR MOMENTS:

• After NJCU stranded two runners with no outs in the first, RUN gained a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Senior third baseman Brian Boulineau (Randolph, N.J.) led off with a double to right center and scored on a one-out groundout by senior catcher Justin Marks (South Plainfield, N.J.).
• In the bottom of the second, Pena was hit by the first pitch, junior third baseman Jesse Kraft (Nutley, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford) singled to left and Pulcine drew a four-pitch walk with two outs to load the bases before all three were stranded on a failed squeeze bunt.
• In the third, sophomore designated hitter John Klimowich (Fair Lawn, N.J.) led off with a double against the shift but was stranded at third.
• In the bottom of the third, NJCU scored four times to first tie the game, then take the lead for good. Sophomore left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) walked on four pitches and scored all the way from first when Gomez lined a double [fifth of the season] to right center to tie the game. After Pena beat out a slow roller to third for an infield single, Ramirez drilled a 1-1 fastball over the right field fence for a 4-1 lead and his first career homer.
• In the bottom of the fifth the Knights added three runs for a 7-1 lead. Gomez singled to left center, forced sophomore right-handed pitcher Jason Palmeri (Glen Rock, N.J.) into a balk with a huge lead and moved to third on an infield single by Pena off the pitcher's glove. Gomez scored on a sac fly to center by Ramirez. Pena swiped second—his 14th steal of the year—and moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher before scoring when Castellano split the gap in right center for an RBI double.
• Leading 6-1 in the fifth, Pulcine battled with Palmeri and on the 10th pitch of the at bat, slipped an RBI single through the right side. Castellano beat the throw to the plate, sliding in with a left hand to make it 7-1. After a pitching change, LoGatto stole second, his 11th in 11 tries, before the inning ended on a groundout.
• In the bottom of the sixth, NJCU put the game out of reach, scoring five runs on three timely hits, aiding by four Newark errors. Senior first baseman Dan Berardi (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), the NJAC Player of the Week, was down 0-2 in the count but managed to work out a walk. He was safe at second when a good throw on a potential force play was dropped. With runners on the corners and one out, Ramirez slipped a single through the right side for his fifth RBI of the day and an 8-1 lead. He took second on a throwing error in right field. Kraft walked to load the bases. Castellano made it 9-1 with a sac fly. Pulcine lined a double down the right field line to drive in the 10th run. NJCU added two more on two errors on one play in the middle infield as the lead swelled to 12-1. All five runs in the sixth were unearned.
• Clare pinch hit with two outs in the seventh and his ground-rule double snapped a streak of nine consecutive batters retired by Zicaro and was just the third hit for RUN and first since the third inning.
• NJCU's reserves got in on the action with two runs in the bottom of the eighth including the first career hits for freshman middle infielder Ryan Guthrie (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne)—a double to deep right center—and an RBI double to straight away center by Mike McLaughlin (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) after his twin brother Dan McLaughlin (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) walked. An RBI single by Gomez knocked in the 14th run.
• RUN got a pair of runs in the top of the ninth trailing by 13 runs to negate Zicaro's bid for a complete-game three-hitter.

QUOTABLE KNIGHTS: Postgame interviews with Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen), Anthony Zicaro (Linden, NJ/Linden) and some friends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10155812358984915/
 

 
NOTABLES:

• Lenin Gomez (Edison, NJ/Edison) has a 16-game on-base streak.
• Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) and Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) have 13 game on-base streaks.
• Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) owns a 10-game hitting streak.
• Jan Castellano (Prospect Park, NJ/Paterson Eastside), Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) and Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) each have an active 10-game on-base streak.
• NJCU is 6-1 with Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) hitting leadoff and Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) batting second.
• NJCU is 5-0 with Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) batting third in the lineup.
• NJCU is 6-1 with Dan Berardi (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) batting in the cleanup spot in the lineup.
• NJCU is 4-0 with Lenin Gomez (Edison, NJ/Edison) batting fifth.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU and Rutgers-Newark conclude the two-day series when the stage moves to Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark on Friday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m.

 
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