AUBURNDALE, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University rallied from seven runs down in the sixth inning of its 2019 season opener to seize a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. Illinois Wesleyan University scored twice in the top of the ninth inning, aided by a costly error, to survive the Gothic Knight baseball team, 12-11, in the RussMatt College Spring Break Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park.
 
In a late afternoon game that took four hours and eight minutes to play and didn't end until nearly 10 p.m., IWU (4-1) led 10-3 after scoring seven times in the top of the sixth. NJCU (0-1) scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings and went ahead with two runs in the eighth, to grab an 11-10 advantage. NJCU had a 17-15 edge in hits in the contest.
 
Senior third baseman Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) batted 4-for-4 with three runs scored and junior right fielder/catcher Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) was 3-for-6 with two runs and an RBI.  Senior center fielder Jesse Kraft hit 3-for-5 with two runs.
 
Also for the Knights, senior second baseman Matt Corsi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) came off the bench to drive in three runs (1-for-2). Rookie first baseman Ricky Voss (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI in his debut.
 
Both teams were hard hit by non-contact injuries in the game, with a half dozen forced out of the contest. NJCU junior left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) and rookie catcher Luiggie Luna (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) both were lost during the game.
 
Senior designated hitter Ben Manski (Green Oaks, Ill.) led the Titans with a 4-for-5 effort and two RBIs, including a solo homer to lead off the seven-run inning. Freshman right fielder Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.) knocked in four runs, batting 3-for-5. Sophomore catcher Eric Kozlowski (North Barrington, Ill.) and junior center fielder Nick Figus (Frankfort, Ill.) each had two hits.
 
IWU used six pitchers. Sophomore right-hander Quinn Gudaitis (Arlington Heights, Ill.) started and struck out 10 batters (two walks) in 5.1 innings, but allowed six runs and nine hits. Sophomore righty Matt Blaney (Tinley Park, Ill.) won in relief, striking out two over 2.0 scoreless innings.
 
Hard-throwing senior Fernando Guerrero (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) suffered the loss in relief in the ninth. He struck out three but allowed two runs and three hits. Sophomore righty Jason Rivera (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) was the sixth of seven Gothic Knight pitchers and fanned three and allowed just one hit in 2.0 shutout innings.
 
IWU led 3-1 before NJCU scored twice in the third to tie it at 3-3 on RBI singles by Feehan and Voss. The Titans broke open the game win the sixth, scoring seven times on four hits. The big blow was a three-run bases-clearing triple to left center by Ranneklev.
 
Trailing 10-3, NJCU scored three times on four hits in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings. NJCU plated three in the sixth to cut the deficit to 10-6 but stranded the bases loaded. In the seventh, junior Ty Hawkins (Point Pleasant, NJ/Manasquan) had a pinch-hit RBI single on the first pitch he saw in an NJCU uniform and Matt Corsi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) lofted a two-run double to center to cut the margin to one run (10-9).
 
In the eighth, NJCU went ahead, 11-10. Feehan and Voss walked to lead off and Pulcine singled to loaded the bags with no outs. NJCU would have taken the lead on the Pulcine single by Feehan went down with an injury between second and third. After making several changes, sophomore Dan McLaughlin (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) pushed across the tying run with a ground ball and NJCU would seize an 11-10 lead when freshman Leo Colon (Carteret, NJ/St. Anthony (Jersey City)), a medical redshirt last year, lined a single off the pitcher and the mound to plate Pulcine.
 
Guerrero entered in relief in the ninth. Figus doubled and after a one-out single by senior outfielder John Bosco (Carol Stream, Ill.), IWU had runners on the corners. Guerrero, trying to check the runner at first, threw it away, allowing the tying run to score. Ranneklev followed with a two-out single to bring home Bosco with the go-ahead run. NJCU could not mount another comeback and was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays game two of its spring trip on Sunday, March 10 at 1 p.m. when it meets Franklin & Marshall College on Lake Myrtle Park Field 7. Watch live on #GothicVision at www.NJCUGothicKnights.com/GothicVision or live stats https://njcugothicknights.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary.
 
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