SOURCE: http://njcugothicknights.com/news/2018/4/12/201804-12_BASEBALL_at_Ramapo.aspx

MAHWAH, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior left-handed pitcher Mike Ramirez authored the best performance of his Gothic Knight pitching career, striking out 12 batters as the New Jersey City University baseball team (14-8, 4-3 NJAC) picked up a key New Jersey Athletic Conference road win against Ramapo College (16-11, 2-5 NJAC) in the opening game of an NJAC home-and-home series on April 12 at Jeff Maund Memorial Field.

NJCU scored three runs in the top of the fourth and the Roadrunners were limited to single runs in the fourth and ninth as the Knights snapped Ramapo's seven-game winning streak in the series and won in Mahwah for the first time since 2014. NJCU capitalized on five Ramapo errors in the win.

Ramirez improved to 2-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.12 and opponent batting average to just .182 in a season he's already notched two saves by throwing 142 pitches in his fourth career complete-game effort. In 9.0 innings he struck out 12, walked four and allowed two runs on eight hits. Nine of the 12 batters were struck out swinging. He fanned nine through six innings and at least one batter in every inning.

Senior third baseman Dan Berardi was 1-for-3 with his 10th double of the season and 35th of his career, walking twice, with a run, RBI and two steals. Junior center fielder Jesse Kraft was 2-for-4 with one RBI and sophomore right fielder Juan Pena batted 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore first baseman Lenin Gomez extended his two-year on-base streak to 23 games, walking and scoring.

Senior shortstop Austin Unglaub (Sparta, N.J.) batted 2-for-3 with a run and senior designated hitter Ryan MacNaughton (River Vale, N.J.) had an RBI in a 2-for-4 day.

Junior right-handed pitcher Jon Brignoni (Union, N.J.) took his first loss (2-1), allowing three unearned runs and two hits in 4.1 innings, walking four with one K over 71 pitches. Junior righty Kyle Haag (Bergenfield, N.J.) was the second of three Roadrunners to throw, going 3.2 innings. He allowed an unearned run and two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

KEY MOMENTS:

• After striking out a batter in each of the first two innings, Ramirez fanned two in the third, both looking. The second K stranded a pair of runners in scoring position. Ramapo left 10 men on in the game.
• In the fourth, NJCU plated three runs, aided by two Ramapo errors. Berardi reached on a one-out error, Gomez walked and Pena singled to center. Berardi scored on an error in center field for a 1-0 lead before Kraft singled in Gomez. A bases-loaded walk to junior catcher Jan Castellano forced in a third run before NJCU left three men on.
• Ramapo got one run back in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back walks and an RBI single by senior center fielder Joe Maugeri (Flanders, N.J.) plated a run. Ramirez struck out MacNaughton swinging to strand two men.
• Ramirez struck out two swinging in the fifth and two more batters in the sixth to give him nine K's.
• Two more Ramapo errors in the seventh allowed NJCU to make it a 4-1 lead. Junior shortstop Nick LoGatto, who reached on an error, later scored on a throwing error at third base.
• Ramirez struck out the final batter of the seventh for his 10th strikeout to leave two men on the bags.
• After a 6-4-3 double play erased a leadoff single in the eighth, Ramirez struck out his 11th batter to end the inning.
• NJCU added two insurance runs in the visitor's ninth. Junior second baseman Tom Pulcine led off with a single and scored on a sac fly by LoGatto. Ramirez and Berardi then doubled back-to-back, with Berardi driving in the winning pitcher for the 6-1 lead.
• Ramapo got an inconsequential run in the bottom of the ninth when Unglaub and MacNaughton doubled and Ramirez struck out the final batter of the game swinging for his 12th whiff.

QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:

Head Coach Jerry Smith on Ramirez and the win: "The first two weekends we tried to put him [Ramirez] in high leverage situations being a two-way guy and we felt as though we lost to both Kean, 11-8, and [William] Paterson, 4-3, and he still had more in the tank. So we adjusted as a staff and maximized his abilities by giving him the entire game. [Jesse] Kraft has also been gaining confidence in center with each game as well. As always our preparation for tomorrow's game has already begun. This conference allows no time to look in the rear view."

NOTABLES:

• NJCU's last win over Ramapo was also its last win in Mahwah—a 6-3 decision on April 24, 2014.
• A year ago Ramapo defeated NJCU by the same 6-2 score in Mahwah.
• Mike Ramirez had the first 10+ strikeout game since Ray Liguori at Old Westbury on March 18, 2016.
• Mike Ramirez had the most strikeouts in a game, overall and in conference play, since Delio Coutinho struck out 13 against Rutgers-Newark on April 3, 2015.
• Mike Ramirez made his 40th career appearance in the start (13th all-time).
• Mike Ramirez started the day tied for 10th in school history in strikeouts and with a dozen, vaulted past five players and into a tie for fourth place in school history with 132 strikeouts. He passed Kevin DeMauro (120, 2012-15), Matt Baker (121, 1981-84), B.J. Fearon (121, 1994-96), Hall-of-Famer Alberto Cajide (125, 1974-75), and Wendell Rodriguez (129, 2010-13) on the all-time list and tied Anthony Principato (132, 1986-89).
• Dan Berardi notched his 35th career double, tying former teammate Michael Martucci (2012-15) for No. 2 in school history. Former teammate Andrew Niech (2013-16) is the all-time leader with 50 doubles.
• Lenin Gomez has an active 23-game on-base streak dating to the end of the 2017 season.
• Tom Pulcine has an active 19-game on-base streak.
• Mike Ramirez has an active 16-game on-base streak.
• Nick LoGatto had his on-base streak snapped at 15 games in the win.
• Dan Berardi has an active 13-game on-base streak.
• Dan Berardi moved into a tie for sixth place in school history with 223 total bases, equaling Brian Veneziano (1997-00) while passing former teammate Alex Weinstein (2012-15, 222 total bases).

UP NEXT:

• NJCU and Ramapo complete the home-and-home series when they meet on Friday, April 13 at NJCU's Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex at 3:30 p.m.

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