NJCU STUNS MONTCLAIR STATE, 15-3; KNIGHTS POST MOST LOPSIDED NJAC WIN IN FOUR SEASONS

KEN WITTE NOTCHES 100^TH CAREER HIT IN 20-HIT AFFAIR; NELSON MALDONADO FANS 100^TH CAREER BATTER

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University reeled off six runs in the fourth inning to break open a one-run game and notched 20 hits in its most lopsided New Jersey Athletic Conference victory in four seasons as NJCU bombarded Montclair State University, 15-3, in a conference game on Wednesday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. Senior center fielder KEN WITTE (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional), one of seven Gothic Knights with multiple hits, became the 34^th player in the 64-year history of the NJCU baseball program to reach the 100-hit plateau and only the ninth to accomplish the feat in a full two-year career.

In the first game of a home-and-home series between the schools, NJCU (7-27, 2-13 NJAC) posted its first victory against Montclair State (15-13, 7-6 NJAC) since April 22, 2004 in Jersey City, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Red Hawks while ending a five-game skid this season. It was NJCU's largest margin of victory in an NJAC game since a 15-2 win over Rutgers University-Camden at home on April 26, 2008. MSU entered the game tied for fourth in the league with 14 points.

On a day where NJCU put everything together—offense, pitching and fielding—two players compiled four hits. Junior catcher FRANCISCO RAMIREZ (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was 4-for-5 with four runs, two RBIs, and two extra base hits—a double and homerun. Senior first baseman MICHAEL FIORENTINO (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/Point Pleasant Beach) was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs, giving him 138 career hits while moving into 12th place in school history.

Junior right-hander NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) became the 10^th player in school history to strikeout out 100 batters in a career. He needed eight to reach the milestone and fanned exactly eight versus just one walk in a 119-pitch, complete-game victory (2-5), allowing just three runs and seven hits.  Maldonado, who has been the winning pitcher in both of NJCU's conference wins this season, picked up his second complete game of the season and third of his career. He posted his fourth effort this year with six or more strikeouts and third outing with at least eight K's in his last four starts. Maldonado retired the first six batters of the game and 11 of the first 12 with five strikeouts before allowing a solo homerun in the fourth inning.

Witte, who had three RBIs and one run while batting 2-for-5, reached the 100-hit threshold with a fourth-inning RBI single. Junior shortstop ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 3-for-6 with two runs and his 21^st and 22^nd stolen bases of the season, moving him into fifth place in school history with 63 swipes. He now has 171 career hits (second place) in three years.

Also for the Knights, senior designated hitter JORDAN TETRICK (Delray Beach, FL/Radnor (Pa.)) was 1-for-4 with three RBIs on a three-run homerun. Junior second baseman CHRISTOPHER MIRABILE (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) was 2-for-4 with two runs. Senior right fielder JORGE GUTIERREZ (Sewaren, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and sophomore left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) each collected two hits.

In defeat, MSU rookie right fielder Anthony Bowens (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) and senior second baseman Andrew Himmelfarb (Upper Nyack, NJ/Nyack) each had two hits. Senior center fielder Michael Boggi (Towaco, NJ/Montville) had his fifth homerun, going 1-for-4 with one RBI.

Freshman left-hander John Silvestri (Livingston, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) threw 63 pitches over 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) and eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk while being charged with the loss (1-1). Freshman righty Jesse Campanelli (Rahway, NJ/Rahway) lasted two-thirds of an inning, with one unearned run and two hits against him. Sophomore righty Kevin Miller (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) made his first appearance of the season, allowing five runs and seven hits with four Ks and two walks in three innings. Freshman righty Louis Pimpinella (Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley) allowed two runs (none earned) and three hits with one strikeout in one inning.

Getting runners on base early in innings was key for NJCU in the win. In the first inning, Gonzalez and Mirabile led off with singles and were sacrificed to second and third by Witte before Silvestri struck out the final two batters of the inning to get out of the jam.

In the second inning, Fiorentino and Rivera each had one-out singles and stood in scoring position with two outs when MSU's third baseman mishandled a Gonzalez grounder, allowing Fiorentino to score the first run. NJCU stranded two runners in scoring position in the inning and 11 overall in the game.

NJCU gained a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Ramirez slammed a 2-1 pitch over the left-center field fence for his second homerun of the season. With two outs in the third, Boggi ripped the first pitch he saw over the left-center field fence, cutting the lead in half.

But a six-run fourth inning blew the game open as NJCU seized an 8-1 advantage. Fiorentino and Rivera led off with singles for the second time in the game. Gonzalez chopped a ball to shortstop that was misplayed for an error, scoring both runners (one RBI) for a 4-1 lead. Gonzalez, who advanced to second on the error with an aggressive play, swiped third for his second steal of the game.  After a four-pitch walk to Mirabile, Witte ripped his 100^th career hit up the middle into center field, driving in Gonzalez for an RBI and a 5-1 margin.

Campanelli entered in relief and Ramirez lined the first pitch he saw back up the middle into center field and Mirabile sprinted home on the RBI single for a 6-1 advantage. With two outs Tetrick walked and Fiorentino slipped a two-run single up the middle to make it an 8-1 lead, knocking in Witte and Ramirez. A groundout ended the inning with two runners in scoring position but not before six runs and five hits had been rung up.

In the top of the fifth, MSU got a pair of runs back. Sophomore first baseman Jason Chesterman (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) led off with a ground-rule double and scored on a double by Moreno. Still with one out, MSU's third straight hit, a single to left by Himmelfarb, made it 8-3. Maldonado's sixth strikeout of the game set down leadoff hitter, junior left fielder Mickey McGraw (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) before getting out of the inning with a high chopper to third.

MSU was limited to four hits in the first six innings after Maldonado threw a 1-2-3 sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Ramirez nearly belted his second homer of the game, driving a 3-2 pitch for a long double into the left field corner and Rodriguez singled to right field, giving the Knights runners on the corners. Fiorentino came through with his fourth single of the game, an RBI single through the left side on a 2-2 pitch for a 9-3 lead on NJCU's 15^th hit of the game before two runners were stranded in scoring position.

In the seventh, NJCU showed off solid defense, using a double play on the second grounder to shortstop in the inning, to erase a leadoff single. In the bottom of the inning, Mirabile walked and with two outs, Ramirez was intentionally walked. Gutierrez responded with an RBI single to right for a 10-3 margin. Tetrick, facing a 3-1 pitch, blasted his fifth homerun of the season over the left-center fence—a three-run shot that gave the Knights a 10-run, 13-3 cushion.

The Knights added insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Rivera reached on an error and Gonzalez doubled. With two outs, Witte punched a two-run single through the right side for a 15-3 lead before Maldonado tossed a solid ninth inning to seal it.

NJCU and Montclair will conclude the home-and-home series on Friday, April 29 at 3:30 p.m. at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, NJ.

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