JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University caught two bad breaks in game one and left the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two out in the bottom of the ninth before falling to Rutgers-Newark, 3-2, in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on April 6. In game two, rookie right-hander JOMAR CASIANO (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) improved to 3-0 to open his career and freshman catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) belted his third homer of the season to pace the Gothic Knights to an 8-3 win.
 
Just 23 games into the second season of the Coach Jerry Smith era, NJCU matched its win total from 2012 (13-26), improving to 13-10 and 2-4 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raiders fell to 7-17 (2-4 NJAC). The Knights are 7-2 at home this year.
 
Prior to the game, John 'Jack' Nagurka, `87, the school's all-time strikeout leader, who was inducted into NJCU's Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night, threw out the game's ceremonial first pitch to NJCU senior right-hander WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep), who broke his career record for victories on Thursday.
 
Senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) was a combined 5-for-8 in the doubleheader, increasing his career hits total to 115 while sophomore center/right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) was also 5-for-8 as each player contributed a pair of RBIs on the day. Rivera notched his fifth and sixth consecutive multi-hit games and is now 15 for his last 24 at bats.
 
R-N freshman Michael Murray (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), who entered the opening game in a reserve role, was 4-for-7 on the day.

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