JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 27 ranked St. Joseph's College (Maine) rallied three times to overcome a New Jersey City University lead and outlasted the host Gothic Knights, 6-4, in game two of a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. St. Joe's also won the opening game of the three-game weekend series on Saturday morning, 7-2, and extended its winning streak to eight games with the sweep.
The Monks, ranked No. 27 nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), improved to 11-1 overall, while NJCU (6-7) fell below .500 for the first time since the third game of the season.
NJCU and St. Joe's, meeting in a weekend series for the fourth consecutive year, have seen seven of the 10 games played between the schools decided by three runs or less and nine by five or fewer runs, but the Monks lead the matchup, 9-1 and have won the last seven games.
The Monks had a combined 24 hits in the two nine-inning games, and junior first baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, MA) was the most productive player, going 4-for-9 with three runs in the two games.
Junior left fielder Andrew Rivera (Edison, NJ/Edison) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, two doubles and a run scored in game two after notching one of seven NJCU hits in the opening game.