JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning trailing 8-4 and had the tying run on second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to tie the game as No. 8/9 ranked Kean University survived an upset-bid from the Gothic Knights, 8-7, in the second game of a two-day home-and-home New Jersey Athletic Conference series played on Friday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
NJCU (11-16, 1-7 NJAC) outhit Kean, 15-9, but committed seven errors, and three of those costly mistakes, including two throwing errors on a double steal in the top of the fifth inning led to two extra runs. Kean (21-7, 6-2), ranked No. 8 by D3baseball.com and No. 9 by the American Baseball Coaches Association, has won the last 19 meetings since 2002 against NJCU.
Trailing 8-4, NJCU scored three runs on four hits in the eighth before leaving the tying run was left on second. Weinstein led off with an infield single to second, beating the throw down the line. The Knights executed a hit and run and rookie right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) singled down the left field line, pushing Weinsteinto third, before advancing to second himself on the throw. Senior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) deposited a two-run single to right center on the first pitch he saw to cut the four-run deficit in half (8-6).
Another hit and run was executed perfectly. With the Kean second baseman off balance, trying to get to second to cover a potential Patterson steal, sophomore first baseman MIKE CASIANO (Newark, NJ/North 13th Street), who came in to play first when Weinstein went to pitch, and only had seven hits all season, slipped the first pitch he saw through the vacated hole at second base and his opposite-field hit put runners on the corners.