NJCU SID
Jersey City, NJ: New Jersey City University junior right-hander NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) and Ramapo College sophomore righty P.J. Cerreto (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) overcame poor weather conditions to combine for 20 strikeouts in their starting roles before RCNJ broke open the New Jersey Athletic Conference contest by scoring seven times on only one hit against the Gothic Knight bullpen in the ninth inning, as the Roadrunners prevailed, 11-1, on Saturday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
On an ominous, cold, and very windy day, there was a threat of rain the entire opening game of the scheduled NJAC doubleheader before a steady rain began falling in the later innings. While Ramapo (19-6, 5-4 NJAC) and NJCU (5-21, 1-8 NJAC) were able to complete game one of the twinbill, the second game was rained out and will be made up on Monday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in Jersey City.
Both Maldonado and Cerreto accomplished career highs in strikeouts. Cerreto fanned 11 and walked one in 8.0 innings over 135 pitches, allowing one unearned run and seven hits. His previous high for strikeouts was nine on April 3 in a complete-game five-hitter in a 9-1 win over Richard Stockton College. With the win, he improved to 5-1 on the season.
Meanwhile, Maldonado struck out a career-high nine batters, walking three in 8.0 innings over 129 pitches. He allowed four runs and six hits. Maldonado topped his career-best of eight K's achieved in his last start on April 9 in a 6-1 win at Rutgers-Camden. Maldonado took the loss (1-4) despite striking out the side in the third inning and retiring the first nine batters of the game in order.
Ramapo sophomore third baseman Christian Spurr (Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills) was the lone visiting player with multiple hits. He batted 2-for-5 with four RBIs—all coming on a ninth-inning grand slam homerun against the NJCU bullpen for his third homer of the year. Senior right fielder Nicholas DiGirolamo (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and one run while hitting his second homer of the year.
Also for RCNJ, senior catcher Peter Dacenko (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Senior second baseman Pat Driscoll (Sparta, NJ/Sparta) was 1-for-3 with two runs and two steals. Junior pinch runner/designated player Marco Carolla (Landisville, NJ/Buena) scored twice.
For NJCU, senior center fielder KEN WITTE (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional) and senior right fielder JORGE GUTIERREZ (Sewaren, NJ/Hudson Catholic) each batted 2-for-4. Witte, who is striving to become just the 34th player in school history to reach the 100-hit club and the ninth to do in only two years, increased his career total to 90.
NJCU, which stranded eight runners on base, including at least one in each of the first six frames, scored first in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman second baseman ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on a single by junior catcher FRANCISCO RAMIREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and scored on an error on the relay throw.
Ramapo moved in front with two runs in the top of the fourth. Junior left fielder Kevin Knox (Matawan, NJ/Matawan) and Driscoll singled and the pair stole second and third. After a walk loaded the bases, Dacenko slipped a two-run single through the left side for a 2-1 lead.
The defense of Roman for NJCU helped keep it a one-run game. In the fifth inning, Roman sprinted into right field to make an over-the-shoulder catch and doubled up a runner at first base. In the sixth inning, Spurr singled to right field before junior first baseman Dan Moreno (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) punched a sharply-hit ground ball up the middle. Roman made an incredible diving stop to orchestrate a 4-6-3 double play.
But RCNJ added two more runs in the seventh inning to take a 4-1 lead. After a leadoff walk, DiGirolamo hit a two-run homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch.
With Maldonado out of the game in the ninth inning, three NJCU relievers gave up seven runs on just one hit, while allowing five walks. There were also two throwing errors from the mound in the inning. Ramapo scored its first run on a squeeze play before one throwing error pushed home a run. After three consecutive walks, including one with the bases loaded by Driscoll to force in a run for a 7-1 lead, Spurr launched a 0-2 pitch to left field for a grand slam and the final four runs. In relief, RCNJ sophomore righty James Knight (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts.