When and Where:

April 9, 2024 - Patchogue, NY

Records:

St. Joseph's (L.I.), 15-7; New Jersey City, 6-15

Results:

Freshman Joe Thatcher knocked in the eventual game-winning runs in both ends of the St. Joseph's University (L.I.) baseball team's non-conference doubleheader sweep of New Jersey City University at Gregg Alfano Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles took game one 5-2 before coming back from six runs down to claim game two 12-7.

Game one: SJLI 5; NJCU 2 (7 inn.)

Key Players:

• Sophomore Dom Crema was 2-for-2 at the plate with a two-run home run

• Thatcher went 1-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs

• Reliever Dante Morabito picked up his second win of the season allowing just one run on two hits with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief

How it happened:

• The Golden Eagles scored early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Mike DiFillipo dropped down a bunt for a base hit and was followed up by a two-run blast over the left field fence by Dom Crema

• The Gothic Knights came back to tie it with a couple of runs in the top of the fourth. Brandon Piacenza drew a walk off new pitcher Nick Dell Italia to start the inning and came in to score on a base hit to left from Mike Novak a few batters later. A two-out sac fly to right brought in Novak and evening the score

• St. Joseph's retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a bases-clearing triple by Joe Thatcher. After Jordan Ramlogan and DiFillipo both reached on one-out walks, Dom Crema was put on intentionally loading the bases for Thatcher who drove a triple in the right-center gap giving SJLI a 5-2 lead

• NJCU quickly got a run back in the top of the sixth when Justin Moreno led off with a solo shot to left, but SJLI's Morabito got the next three Gothic Knights to fly out ending any threat

Game two: SJLI 12; NJCU 7 (7 inn.)

Key Players:

• Ramlogan finished 3-for-3 with a double, and a triple with three runs scored and five RBIs

• Junior Chris Perri earned the win allowing just two hits with four strikeouts in 3.1 scoreless innings out of the pen

How it happened:

• NJCU scored first in game two when Ray Gelok drew a one-out walk before Ricky Turero sent a shot over the left field fence 

• The Gothic Knights added to their lead with four runs in the top of the third. A walk and a hit by pitch started the inning followed by a one-out single to center to load the bases. The next batter singled up the middle scoring Enrique Beltra. Moreno followed up with a two-RBI double down the left field line putting the visitors ahead 5-0. A passed ball later in the inning brought in the fourth run and moved the score to 6-0.

• The Golden Eagles got on the board with two runs in the bottom half of the third. RBI doubles by Ramlogan and John Lynch cut the deficit to four, 6-2

• St. Joseph's batted around for four runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by a three-RBI triple from Ramlogan to even the score at six runs apiece

• The hosts took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after a two-RBI single from Thatcher, 6-4

• The Golden Eagles managed to add four runs in the bottom of the sixth without recording a hit widening the gap to six, 12-6

• NJCU pushed across a run in the seventh, but reliever CJ Rivera got Dom Yarson to ground out to first ending the game at 12-7

Next up, the Golden Eagles resume Skyline Conference action when they travel to face St. Joseph's University, Brooklyn on Sunday, April 14th at 11:00 am.