MADISON, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After not playing in more than two weeks after seven consecutive postponements, the New Jersey City University baseball couldn't wait to get back on the diamond and it showed in the first two innings. The Gothic Knights led 5-0 after two frames and defeated host Drew University, 10-6, in a non-conference game on March 23 at Doc Young Field.
 
Sophomore shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, N.J./Spotswood) unleashed his first career home run—the first by any NJCU (2-5) player this season—a three-run shot in the top of the second inning after senior right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) drove in two runs in the opening inning.
 
In a game originally scheduled to be played in Jersey City but moved yesterday to Madison, the Gothic Knights were playing for the first time since March 8 and knocked off a team that had been winners of six of its last seven games. Drew fell to 8-3. The Rangers were on the field for the first time since March 11.
 
LoGatto finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs, walking once, while Coutinho batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Freshman first baseman Lenin Gomez (Edison, N.J./Edison) doubled twice (2-for-5, 1 RBI) and senior center fielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) scored twice.
   Joe Coutinho drove in a pair of runs in the top of the first.
Also for the Knights, junior designated hitter/left-handed pitcher Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, N.J./Saint Joseph-Metuchen), freshman left fielder Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro) and senior catcher CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) each walked twice.
 
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Nate Facey (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) started and threw a strong two innings, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout before sophomore righty Anthony Carfora (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) entered in the third and became the winning pitcher in both NJCU victories this year. While improving to 2-0 on the year, he allowed just three earned runs and four hits over 4.1 innings, striking out three (three walks) over 89 pitches.
 
Ramirez tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings, allowing one hit before sophomore Jose Ortiz (Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy) threw the ninth to seal it.
 
Drew freshman designated hitter Anthony Tagliaferro (Monroe Township, N.J.) hit a solo homer and was 3-for-5 with two RBIs while sophomore left fielder Jayson Mitch (Easton, Pa.) batted 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs out of the leadoff slot. Senior center fielder Marc Cohen (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.) scored twice.
 
Sophomore lefty Jendy Castillo (Newark, N.J.) was the losing pitcher, giving up five runs in the first 1.2 innings. Sophomore righty Harry Cohen (Fort Lee, N.J.) and sophomore lefty Joshua Williams (Harrison, N.J.) combined for 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings of relief, giving up five runs (two earned) and six hits. Drew pitchers struck out 12 NJCU batters but walked eight.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
NJCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ramirez led off with a single, Feehan walked and with two outs, Coutinho doubled down the left field line.
 
In the second, senior third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./JFK Memorial-Iselin) singled with one out, Pulcine walked and LoGatto launched his first career homer and the first round-tripper by any Gothic Knight this season, over the left field hedges for a three-run shot and a 5-0 lead.
 
Drew got a run back in the bottom of the second when Tagliaferro, the cleanup hitter, homered to left center. The Rangers added a second run in the bottom of the third. After a leadoff walk and a sacrifice to second, an error on a pickoff attempt at second forced in an unearned run. It was the fifth throwing error by an NJCU pitcher this season with just nine for the other positional players.
 
In the fourth, NJCU added a run back (6-2). LoGatto was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an infield single by Feehan.
 
NJCU began to pull away in the top of the fifth. Gomez led off with a double and Coutinho and senior second baseman Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) singled back-to-back, the latter plating the seventh run. NJCU loaded the bases with one out but couldn't score. Ruscingno scored on an error in the sixth, expanding the lead to 8-2, as the Knights scored for the third inning in a row.
 
Drew chipped away in the bottom of the seventh. With two men on and no outs after a hit batter and single, Mitch doubled to cut the deficit to 8-4. After a single, Tagliaferro added the third run of the inning with a one out RBI single (8-5).
   Nate Facey started, allowing just one run and one hit in 2.0 innings.
But NJCU got a pair of runs back in the eighth. Feehan walked and stole second and sophomore Sean Erhardt (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), the pinch runner, scored on an RBI single to left center by Gomez for a 9-5 advantage and a throwing error at first while checking a runner allowed a 10th run to cross in sophomore pinch runner Sean Gibney (Rutherford, N.J./Saint Mary-Rutherford), to add to the margin.
 
Last season (March 24, 2016), NJCU led 10-4 in Madison heading to the bottom of the ninth and Drew scored five times before leaving the bases loaded and losing, 10-9. This year, Drew got one run back on a one-out error in the bottom of the ninth and like last year's meeting in Madison that ended in drama in the final at bat, the 2017 version had some nerves. The error loaded the bases with one out and the tying run came to the plate before Ortiz got a foul out to first and a fly ball to left to end it.
 
OF NOTE:

• Nick Ruscingno still has 121 career hits, tied with B.J. Fearon (1994-96) for 21st place in school history. He needs one more for the Top 20.
• Zach Buchholz has 90 career hits and Joe Coutinho has 88 career hits. They look to become the 41st and 42nd members of the NJCU 100 hit club.
• Currently, five players have joined the 100-hit club in Jerry Smith's six years as head coach, including three of the top six on the list and the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time hitters.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU heads to Jenkintown, Pa. on Sunday, March 26 at 11:30 a.m. for a non-conference doubleheader against Penn State Abington. Both games will be seven-inning contests at Alverthorpe Park. The Nittany Lions are 1-12 with two games coming on Saturday. Follow live stats for the road game.