MADISON, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior right-hander WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) had never saved a game in his collegiate career entering his third season at NJCU. He's beginning to make it look routine. Rodriguez was handed the ball with the Gothic Knights in the tightest of jams on Tuesday afternoon after Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Wen-Rod proceeded to coerce three outs—an infield pop out, a shallow fly out and a fielder's choice—as NJCU survived for an 8-7 non-conference victory at FDU Field.
NJCU (11-14) exceeds the win total (10-28) of the 2011 team while dropping FDU (11-13) in the first meeting between the teams since April 3, 2001 (a 5-2 FDU win in Jersey City). NJCU defeated FDU for the first time since 1999 and earned its first win in Madison against the Devils since an 11-10 win in 1991.
Rodriguez earned his third save of the season to accompany his three victories as a starter and allowed rookie KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), who made his first career start at shortstop before coming in as NJCU's third pitcher, to improve to 2-0 on the mound this year. DeMauro tossed 4.0 shutout innings against two hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.
Offensively, NJCU pounded out 16 hits, led by junior catcher ORLANDO BOLANO (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) in the cleanup spot, who batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Junior second baseman/shortstop PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) served as the leadoff hitter for the first time as a Gothic Knight and responded by batting 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI.
In all, five NJCU players had multiple hits. DeMauro aided his own cause by scoring twice and posting a 2-for-5 effort. Junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was 2-for-5 with a run and junior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) had a run and RBI in a 2-for-4 effort.