Box Score


Ewing, NJ … Junior Robert Schneider (Township of Washington, NJ/Westwood) pitched eight masterful innings for The College of New Jersey baseball team as they defeated New Jersey City University 3-1 on Friday afternoon at George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions (20-13, 7-4) have now won three straight and five of their last six of their last games, all of which have been New Jersey Athletic Conference contests. They entered the game in a three-way tie for third place in the standings and continued their march towards a post-season berth with the victory.
 
The Gothic Knights played well, but fell to 12-20 overall and 1-11 in the NJAC.
 
Schneider (4-0) was touched for a run in the first inning and followed with seven scoreless innings to remain unbeaten this season. He limited NJCU to three hits and walked one, allowing just four runners to reach base through his eight innings of work on the mound.
 
Junior Rob Vafiadou (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with a two-out single to right field. Junior Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North) also shined with a pair of hits including an RBI-double and two stolen bases in the game.
 
NJCU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Freshman Mike Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) picked up where he left off in Thursday's game, fighting off a pitch to right field for a run-scoring single in the opening frame. The base hit scored junior Pete Senyszyn (Cartaret, NJ/Cartaret) who walked earlier in the inning. (Martucci had four hits against the Lions yesterday.)
 
Sophomore Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) got the offense rolling in the third inning with a one-out line drive to right-center. Kelly then drove a 3-1 pitch over the left fielder's head to score Dispoto and lock the game up at 1-1.
 
The Lions edged ahead in the sixth. Junior Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) led off with a walk and stole second base. He moved to third on a ground ball before Vafiadou found the hole between the first and second basemen to plate Murphy.
 
TCNJ tacked on an insurance run in the seventh thanks to three straight singles from the middle of the line-up.With two outs and nobody on, senior Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberley Academy) stroked a base hit before classmate Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) knocked a ball through the right side. Murphy stayed in long enough on a two-strike breaking pitch to pull it through the shortstop hole and score Ruzich from second base.
 
Head coach Dean Glus decided to go to his closer in the ninth and senior Mike Ham (Sparta, NJ/Pope John Paul XXIII) did not disappoint, notching his eighth save of the season. He currently leads the NJAC in saves and carries a 2.50 ERA
 
Both teams played errorless baseball and the Lions supplemented their pitching performance with several notable plays in the field. Kelly made an outstanding catch in short center field, ranging far and deep to his right to make a back-handed running catch while running in between Vafiadou and Cifelli. In the fifth, Dispoto made a diving catch in left field to take away a hit. Finally in the seventh, Vafiadou ranged to his right and threw to first. Ruzich stretched and made a backhand pick to get the runner, a tough play that he continues to make look routine.

The Gothic Knights also threw some leather around as right fielder Matt Wagner (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and left fielder Andrew Rivera (Edison, NJ/Edison) made diving catches coming in to rob Kelly and Galeotafiore of hits.
 
Ruzich finished with two hits and a run scored in the game and junior Nick Cifelli (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) stroked a single and a double.
 
TCNJ continues its NJAC schedule tomorrow, visiting Ramapo College for a double header that is slated to start at 11:30 a.m. The Roadrunners defeated Rutgers-Newark today 3-2 and remains tied with the Lions for third place with a record of 8-4. Ramapo is 25-7 overall this season.