JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman catcher Anthony Palmisano (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) was mired in an 0-for-14 slump and had just two RBIs all season when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning with his New Jersey City University baseball team trailing Rutgers University-Camden, 6-4, after two earlier comebacks forced extra innings and then extended it past the 10th inning. No worries, because Palmisano picked the opportune time to break out. The rookie catcher blasted a two-run homer to tie the game at 6-6, then scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th on an RBI single from senior center fielder Jesse Kraft (Nutley, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford) as NJCU claimed a resilient 7-6 win over RU-Camden in 13 innings in game two of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on April 6 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
In game one, Rutgers-Camden hit a pair of homers in the third and fourth innings to open a 6-1 lead and defeated NJCU, 9-2. With the split, NJCU is 11-7 overall and 2-3 in the NJAC. Camden is 10-11, 3-2 in the league.
At 13 innings, game two was the longest game played by NJCU in 24 years; On April 27, 1995, NJCU defeated Ramapo, 13-12, in 15 innings in Jersey City. (PDF)
NJCU won its first conference game in extra innings in 19 years; its last was a 3-2 win over Rutgers-Newark in 10 innings on May 6, 2000. NJCU had lost the last seven in extra frames since then. The win was NJCU's first in extra innings in a conference game in head coach Jerry Smith's career (1-4).
GAME 1: Rutgers-Camden 9, NJCU 2
Rutgers-Camden scored four runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth to take the opening game of the doubleheader. Camden outhit NJCU, 11-8, as the Knights couldn't find an answer for reigning NJAC Pitcher of the Year Ian Scheidemann (Cherry Hill, N.J.).
NJCU grabbed a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by rookie first baseman Ricky Voss (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) in the first inning before the Raptors evened it in the top of the third on a throwing error. With two outs and two on, junior designated hitter Matt Yanick (Palmyra, N.J.) belted a 1-1 pitch down the left field line—a 3-run homer that put Camden on top, 4-1.
In the fourth, junior second baseman John Guccione (Hazlet, N.J.) kept the inning alive with a two-out single and freshman center fielder Brett Yurgin (Mullica Hill, N.J.) homered to left—his sixth of the year—to extend the lead to 6-1.
The Raptors added a single run in the top of the sixth to push the lead to 7-1; NJCU got a run back in the bottom of the inning when junior right fielder Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) singled, Voss was hit by a pitch, the duo combined on a double steal and Pena scored on a throwing error. RUC collected a pair of unearned runs in the ninth.
Scheidemann, a senior right-handed pitcher, improved to 5-0, striking out seven (two walks). He gave up two runs (one earned) and seven hits over 108 pitches. Junior righty Keith Jacobs (Marlton, N.J.) allowed one hit in 2.0 innings of relief.
Yanick led the Raptors with three RBIs, batting 2-for-5 with his second homer of the season. Yurgin was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Freshman second baseman Jared Weaver (Erial, N.J.) was 2-for-5 and Guccione scored twice.
For NJCU, Voss was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Senior third baseman Tom Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) and senior second baseman Matt Corsi (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) each had two hits. Kraft drew two walks. Junior righty Ian Ambrose (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) struck out six in 6.0 innings but suffered the loss (0-2)
GAME 2: NJCU 7, Rutgers-Camden 6 (13 innings)
Early on, senior righty Fernando Guerrero (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), making his first start since March 24, was locked in, striking out two batters in the first inning, five batters through three and fired seven K's through three innings.
Meanwhile, NJCU grabbed a 2-0 lead after three. A sac fly by Voss drove in Pulcine, who led off the first inning with a single. In the third, Pulcine led off with another single and scored on a two-out single by Voss. NJCU left the bases loaded in the fifth.
Guerrero continued to mow down Camden, retiring the visitors in order in the sixth. The Raptors had just one hit through six innings. But Guerrero began to tire in the seventh and after he struck out his ninth batter, Camden collected back-to-back opposite field singles and Guerrero's error on a throw to first loaded the bases. Weaver drew a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single up the middle by Guccione put the Raptors on top, 3-2.
NJCU tied it in the bottom of the eighth. Senior shortstop Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) walked with one out, stole second and scored on a two-out throwing error. NJCU rookie closer John Pudder (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) struck out two batters in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
NJCU, playing its first extra-innings game of the season, fell behind in the top of the 10th on an RBI single by Yanick, scoring junior catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, N.J.), who led off with a walk and benefitted from an error on a force play that did not erase him.
Trailing 4-3, NJCU was down to its final out before LoGatto, who committed the 10th inning error, reached on an error himself to keep the game alive. In a hit-and-run situation, Corsi singled to left center and LoGatto scored all the way from first base to even the game at 4-4.
Camden answered in the top of the 11th. Weaver and Guccione singled with one out and a hit batter loaded the bases. Travis reached on a fielder's choice to push across Weaver for a 5-4 lead and a sac fly made it 6-4.
With the bottom of the order due up, a pair of freshman came through. Left fielder Leo Colon (Carteret, NJ/St. Anthony (Jersey City)) singled to lead off the frame and Palmisano drilled his first career homer over the left-center fence to tie the game at 6-6 and set off pandemonium from the NJCU bench. It was his first hit in six games, since March 28 against Old Westbury.
Palmisano threw out a runner stealing at second to end the top of the 12th and NJCU went in order in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the 13th, Camden got to second but was erased on a fielder's choice.
That set up the bottom of the 13th. After a leadoff walk to Colon, Palmisano reached on a throwing error on a sac bunt. Colon was erased on a fielder's choice and Palmisano moved to second. Pena singled to left to load the bases. With one out and the bases full, Kraft lined an 0-2 pitch to left and Palmisano scored the winning run as the Knights mobbed Kraft at first base.
Pulcine led NJCU, going 3-for-6 with two runs and Palmisano had two RBIs and scored twice. Voss had two RBIs. Pena and Kraft each batted 2-for-7 and Corsi was 2-for-6 with one RBI. Colon was 2-for-5 with one run. LoGatto walked twice and scored two runs.
Senior righty Sean Gibney (Rutherford, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford) was the winner (1-1) in 2.2 innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out two while facing nine batters Guerrero took the no decision, fanning nine against three walks. He allowed two earned runs and four hits.
Senior lefty Steven Bloyed (North Brunswick, N.J.) went the first 8.0 innings for Camden, striking out six (two walks) and allowed one earned run against seven hits. Junior lefty Joe Hahn (Delran, N.J.), who had an .081 opposing batting average entering the day, lost (0-1).
Junior third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, N.J.) batted 4-for-6. Guccione was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Yanick had a pair of hits.
UP NEXT:
In a game rescheduled from a rainout on Friday, NJCU and Rowan meet on Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. in the second half of the home-and-home series in Glassboro, N.J. at 3:30 p.m. Rowan, ranked No. 7/16 in the nation, won Thursday's meeting.
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