NEWARK, NJ – Junior centerfielder Brian Gill beat out an infield chopper to third base with two out in the bottom of the ninth to bring home the winning run in an improbable 13-12 New Jersey Athletic Conference come-from-behind win over William Paterson in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
NCAA Statistics
The Scarlet Raiders (16-14-1, NJAC 6-6) scored five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to knot the score going into the ninth against the Pioneers (21-10, NJAC 9-3). The win gave the Raiders a split of the regular-season series and kept Rutgers-Newark in the thick of the fight for one of six NJAC Championship Tournament berths entering the final six games of the season.
Junior catcher Matt Halligan walked to lead off the ninth and was replaced by rookie pinch runner Matt Citro. Freshman shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer bunted Citro over to second before rookie second baseman Matt Connors hit a slow grounder to the right side which put Citro on third. Citro was gone on the crack of the bat on Gill's grounder which took a big hop that virtually eliminated any chance for a play at first base.
A grand slam by junior leftfielder Doug Ford woke the Raiders in the seventh, cutting a 9-3 deficit entering the inning to 9-8.
The Pioneers bounced back on a Raider throwing error, an RBI double by sophomore rightfielder Mike Guadango and a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Vince Joyce to move to what seemed to be a comfortable 12-8 lead in the top of the eighth.
Sophomore rightfielder Anthony Yeswita turned in the defensive play of the day to kill the Pioneer rally in the eighth. With no one out and the bases loaded, he threw home to prevent a fourth run in the inning after making a routine catch. The gamble would cost WPU dearly.
In the bottom of the eighth, Rutgers-Newark batted around, posting four runs on four hits. Halligan led off the inning with a double to the right centerfield gap. Gill delivered a two-run single ahead of a sacrifice fly by Yeswita to bring the Raiders to within one before fate stepped in.
A passed ball third strike against sophomore third baseman Joe Furnaguera got away from the Pioneer catcher with two away, loading the bases for Junior designated hitter Christian Diaz. Diaz stroked a single to rightfield, bringing Gill home with the tying run. Senior first baseman Dan Zika was pegged at the plate to prevent the go-ahead run, but the damage was done.
Sophomore reliever Michael Hansen got the win by pitching the final two innings. He inherited a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, giving up a single which tied the game, and allowed a one out single in the ninth.
Zika went four for five and scored twice for the Raiders while Gill finished three for five with three RBI and three runs scored. Ford drove in a total of five runs and joined Connors, Furnaguera and Reitemeyer with two hits in the 18-hit Rutgers-Newark attack. It marked the sixth time this season that the Raiders have posted 18 or more hits in a game.
Guadango went four for five with three RBI to pace WPU which also got three hits – including two doubles – from junior centerfielder John Elia. Joyce, sophomore leftfielder Andrue Laguerre and sophomore second baseman Vincent Ganz had two hits each in the 17-hit Pioneer attack.
Rutgers-Newark travels to Rowan on Saturday for a noon NJAC doubleheader while William Paterson is at Montclair State on Friday for a 3:30 p.m. conference game.
The season now comes down to six league games in eight days with the Raiders and Richard Stockton tied for the sixth and final berth in the NJAC tournament which will be played in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
