SOURCE: http://www.njcugothicknights.com/news/2018/4/14/201804-14_BASEBALL_at_Stockton.aspx

GALLOWAY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Stockton University received a brilliant pitching performance in game one before New Jersey City University senior left-handed pitcher Kyle Kafer has his own impressive complete-game effort in game two in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader split on April 14. Stockton (6-16, 3-7 NJAC) won the opener, 7-0, before NJCU (15-10, 5-5 NJAC) took game two, 7-2.

The story of game one was simple: Stockton 6-foot-6 junior right-handed pitcher Ray Hughes (Forked River, N.J.) threw a 161-pitch complete-game four-hit shutout of the Gothic Knights. It was the first time this year NJCU has been shutout. While he was wild (eight walks), he struck out 10 over 9.0 innings, to improve to 3-2.

Kafer also improved to 3-2 by winning the nightcap in his first career complete game. In 9.0 innings he struck out four, walked three and allowed just two runs against 11 hits.

NJCU trailed 2-0 after four innings before plating two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings and tacked on three key insurance runs in the ninth.

The Knights have won 15 or more games in four consecutive years under seventh-year head coach Jerry Smith and five times in the last six seasons. Prior to Smith taking over the program in 2012, NJCU had won 15 games or more games just 13 times in its history.

GAME 1: Stockton 7, New Jersey City 0

NJCU was shutout for the first time in a span of 32 games dating to 2017 behind the effort of Hughes. Stockton had eight hits in the win, scoring two runs apiece in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings with another tally in the eighth. NJCU left 12 runners on base in the loss.

Sophomore center fielder Rico Viani (Monroe Township, N.J.) was 3-for-3 with one RBI and sophomore catcher Garrhet Reedy (Tinton Falls, N.J.) knocked in two runs. Senior shortstop Tyler Hobbs (Brick, N.J.) batted 2-for-4 with one RBI. Junior third baseman JJ Swentkowski (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) scored twice.

Sophomore left fielder Bill Feehan matched the single-game school record for walks in a game for the third time in his career, walking all four times he came to the plate. Junior shortstop Nick LoGatto had half of NJCU's hits, batting 2-for-4 with a walk. Junior second baseman Tom Pulcine also walked twice.

Junior righty Sean Gibney opened the game for NJCU and struck out three (one walk) in 2.0 no-hit innings. Junior righty Kyle McCabe suffered his first loss (0-1), despite allowing just one earned run in 1.1 innings. Junior righty Anthony Carfora struck out five while throwing the final 4.2 innings.

KEY PLAYS:

• Scoreless in the fourth, Stockton put two runs on the board, capitalizing on two of NJCU's three errors in the game. A blown rundown extended the inning and runs came in on a throwing error and a failed pickoff attempt.
• Stockton added two runs in the fifth. After a one-out walk and another hit batter, Viani had an RBI single and Reedy flied out for a sacrifice that made it 4-0.
• NJCU stranded a pair of runners in the sixth and seventh innings.
• Stockton scored twice in the seventh. Hobbs singled to lead off before scoring on a throwing error. A sac fly by Reedy made it 6-0.
• Hobbs made it 7-0 with a two-out single in the eighth after Stockton doubled.

GAME 2: New Jersey City 7, Stockton 2

Kafer went the distance and NJCU produced 13 hits in the win to remain at .500 in the conference with eight games remaining in league play.

Senior center fielder Mike Ramirez was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two walks and a run scored in game two to reach base for the 19th straight game while Feehan drove in two runs with a ninth-inning double. Junior catcher Jan Castellano was 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk while junior third baseman Matt Corsi was 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI. Pulcine batted 2-for-6 (RBI, run), extending his on-base streak to 22 games.

Junior right fielder Joe Cashman (Bordentown, N.J.), a high school teammate of Kafer, was 3-for-4 in the loss while Swentkowski, Hobbs and sophomore center fielder Jeff Schick (Marlton, N.J.) each had two hits. Stockton used four pitchers; Viani started and took the loss (0-2), allowing four runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings. He fanned seven but walked four.

KEY PLAYS:

• Stockton got on the board in the second. Cashman singled with one out, moved to second on a walk and third on a single by Schick before scoring on a groundout.
• In the fourth, Stockton added a second run on back-to-back singles, a sac bunt and a ground out by Schick that brought in a run.
• NJCU tied it in the top of the fifth as the Knights collected five hits. With one out, Castellano, Pulcine and LoGatto all singled— LoGatto's single up the middle drove in Castellano. NJCU tied it on an RBI single to left by Ramirez.
• A two-run sixth inning, all with two outs, gave NJCU the eventual winning margin. Corsi and Castellano walked with two outs and no one on and Pulcine singled through the right side to put the Knights in front, 3-2. Ramirez again singled to left to make it 4-2.
• Kafer shut the door from there, allowing just one runner to reach third base the remainder of the game.
• In the top of the ninth, the Knights tacked on three runs on four hits. Ramirez walked and senior first baseman Dan Berardi and sophomore right fielder Juan Pena singled to load the bases. Feehan doubled to left center to push the lead to 6-2 and Corsi singled to left to knock in the seventh run.

NOTABLES:

• NJCU has won 15 or more games 18 times in its history: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
• NJCU was last shutout by the same 7-0 score on April 23, 2017 at TCNJ.
• Tom Pulcine extended his on-base streak to 22 games.
• Mike Ramirez has an active 19-game on-base streak.
• Bill Feehan walked four times in a game for the third time in his career:
• • March 30, 2017 @ Mount Saint Mary (NY)
  • April 26, 2017 @ St. Joseph's (LI)
  • April 14, 2018 @ Stockton
• Nick LoGatto has 38 hits in 25 games this season; he had just 39 hits in the first 63 games of his career.
• Dan Berardi's career totals increased to 141 hits in 110 games (106 starts) with 86 RBIs, 77 runs, 35 doubles and 14 homers.

UP NEXT:

• NJCU will next face St. Joseph's College (LI) on Tuesday, April 17 in Patchogue, N.Y. Originally a single game, the meeting will now be a doubleheader featuring two seven-inning non-conference games beginning at 4:30 p.m.

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