JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 5, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team dropped a road contest against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) foe NJCU this afternoon, 14-3. The Scarlet Raiders fall to 6-13 (0-3 NJAC) while the Gothic Knights improve to 11-5 (2-1 NJAC).

R-N was led by sophomore Connor Clare who had a 2-for-2 day after coming in as a pinch-hitter and picked up an RBI. Senior Joe Biggiani went 1-for-2 while recording an RBI of his own. Senior Brian Boulineau, sophomore Kevin Tamsula, and classmate Christian Diaz each crossed home plate once for the Raiders three runs.

Senior Dominick Fazio (0-3) suffered the loss after three innings of work where he allowed four earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out three. Sophomore Jason Palimieri, classmate Michael Katims, and rookie Eric Morales finished off the game with a combined six frames of relief. Palmieri fanned three while recording five outs, Katims hurled one inning, and Morales had the longest outing of his young career with 2.1 innings of work.

Rutgers-Newark has a quick turnaround and gets another crack at NJCU tomorrow afternoon when it hosts the Gothic Knights at Riverfront Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The Scarlet Raiders drew first blood in the top of the second. Boulineau led off the inning with a double to right-center. Junior Dominic Magliaro moved him over to third on a lineout to right-center Next up was senior Justin Marks who brought Boulineau home on a ground out to the left side of the infield, putting the visitors up 1-0.

Unfortunately, from there it was all NJCU. The home side put up four runs in the third to chase Fazio before adding three in the fifth and putting the game fully out of reach with a five-spot in the sixth. Still, the Gothic Knights tacked on two more in the eighth to take a 14-1 advantage.

In the top of the ninth, Newark went on a bit of a rally, never quitting on the game. Tamsula started things off with a one-out single center. Diaz was up next and earned a base on balls to put two Raiders on. Two batters later, down to their final out, Clare delivered for the Raiders with an RBI base knock to right center, scoring Tamsula and advancing Diaz to third. Biggiani came through next, bringing Diaz home with an infield single that made it 14-3.

NJCU starter Anthony Zicaro was pitching a gem until Biggiani's RBI base knock chased him to put his final line at 8.2 innings, three earned runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out seven. Jason Rivera got the final out of the contest with the home side's eighth strikeout.