JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Nationally No. 7/16 ranked Rowan University scored 10 runs over the eighth and ninth innings to break open a close game and defeated the New Jersey City University baseball team, 13-0, in the first game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home series on April 4 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
Rowan (14-5, 2-1 NJAC) got its second consecutive complete-game shutout from senior right-handed pitcher Justin Smith (Atco, N.J.) who struck out 10, walked two and allowed just three hits over 107 pitches, improving to 2-1 on the year. He has thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings. NJCU fell to 10-6 with the loss and 1-2 in the NJAC.
Senior center fielder Matt Woods (Berlin, N.J.) batted 5-for-6 with five RBIs and three doubles to lead Rowan. The Profs improved to 4-0 on the road this year. Rowan had seven extra-base hits in the game, highlighted by six doubles.
Also for Rowan, senior catcher Steven Hewa (Galloway, N.J.) was 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs. Senior right/left fielder batted 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while sophomore left fielder Michael Manganella (West Milford, N.J.) finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run.
Sophomore righty Gavin Niland (Paramus, NJ/Paramus Catholic) lost for the first time as a Gothic Knight, falling to 3-1. He allowed just two earned runs and eight hits in 7.1 innings, striking out four (two walks).
Each team had one hit through three innings. After a leadoff single in the fourth, NJCU could have gotten out of the inning on a one-out ground ball to second. But senior second baseman Matt Corsi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East), who was 48-for-48 on defensive chances this year, threw wide of second base, allowing the lead runner at third to score and Manganella later singled to left field to make it 2-0.
In the fifth, Shane singled to lead off but was picked off by Niland at first and the play was huge at that time because Woods followed with a double to right center that would have made it 3-0. Instead, Niland got a groundout and flyout to end the frame and keep the deficit at 2-0.
Rowan added a run in the seventh. With one out, Hewa doubled and with two out Woods drilled a line drive off the plant foot of Niland, rolling into no-man's land on the right side, allowing Hewa to score from first for a 3-0 lead.
Still a tight game, that changed in the eighth when Rowan scored five times, aided by a pair of errors. All five runs were unearned. After the leadoff runner reached on an error and a subsequent hit by pitch, an RBI single by Manganella through the left side made it 4-0. An infield single by Hewa made it 5-0. A two-run triple to right center by Shane extended the lead to 7-0 and put the game out of reach. Woods doubled to right center to made it 8-0.
Rowan added five more run in the ninth, starting the frame with back-to-back doubles. The biggest blow came from Woods—his third double of the game—a three-run shot that accounted for the final runs.
OF NOTE:
- Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) saw his hitting streak snapped at 12 games.
- Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) had his active on-base streak end at 13 games.
UP NEXT:
NJCU and Rowan meet against on Friday, April 5 in the second half of the home-and-home series when the clubs meet in Glassboro, N.J. at 3:30 p.m.
GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:
For the latest on NJCU baseball and #NJCUBB, follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. Preferred hashtags are #GothicGameDay and #GothicFamily.