Scott Picerno blanked John Jay over the final three innings to pick up the save.

HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 18, 2006) – Stevens Institute of Technology extended its school-best win streak to eight consecutive games thanks to five defensive errors by John Jay College as the Ducks rallied from a 3-1 deficit to claim a 7-3 victory over the Bloodhounds on Saturday afternoon at Dobbelaar Baseball Field in Hoboken, N.J.  With the win, Stevens improved to 9-2 on the year while John Jay fell to 3-7 overall.

The Bloodhounds took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning against Ducks’ starting pitcher Gerard Moreno (Bogota, N.J.) courtesy of RBI singles by junior outfielder Richard Santana (New York, N.Y.) and senior outfielder/pitcher Robert Fernandez (New York, N.Y.).

With two outs and junior pitcher/infielder Adam Sandt (Allentown, Pa.) at first base in the bottom of the fourth, junior pitcher/infielder Ryan Birkenstock (Smithville, N.J.) reached on a catcher’s interference call against sophomore Stephen Hillmann (Seaford, N.Y.).  Stevens was able to push across its first run of the game as junior Henry Chao (Queens, N.Y.) committed a throwing error that allowed Sandt to score from second.

John Jay reestablished a two-run lead as senior outfielder Kenneth Sepulveda (Valley Stream, N.Y.) homered to left off sophomore pitcher Armando Suarez (Long Valley, N.J.).

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Moreno reached on an infield hit.  After stealing second, Moreno came around to score on senior outfielder Tim Meehan’s (Hawthorne, N.J.) base hit to right.  Meehan was thrown out at second on a close play as he tried to stretch the single into a double.

The Ducks pushed across three runs in the sixth as the Bloodhounds fell apart defensively.  With one out, sophomore infielder John Frustaci (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) homered to left field to tie the game at 3-all.  After reaching on a throwing error by junior third baseman/pitcher Joseph Ayala (Bronx, N.Y.), Birkenstock should have been retired at second base on a line drive off the bat of junior infielder Andrew Tesoriero (East Brunswick, N.J.).  On the play, Bloodhounds’ second baseman James DeCesare (Staten Island, N.Y.) was unable to catch the ball cleanly so he flipped to Chao for the force play.  Chao muffed the throw from DeCesare – allowing Birkenstock to slide in safely.

With runners at first and second and still only one out, freshman pitcher Enmanuel Rodriguez (Manhattan, N.Y.) committed an error as he threw wide of first base on a come-backer to the mound off the bat of freshman pitcher/outfielder Joe Gunshor (Ridgefield, Conn.).  Birkenstock scored as Tesoriero and Gunshor advanced to second and third, respectively.  After a walk to junior outfielder/pitcher Eric McCormick (Edison, N.J.) loaded the bases, sophomore catcher David Katusa (Somerset, N.J.) lifted a sacrifice fly to right as Tesoriero scored to give the Ducks a 5-3 lead.

In the seventh, Frustaci hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Meehan, who led off the inning with a single up the middle.  With two outs and no one on base, Birkenstock started a rally with a double down the left-field line.  Tesoriero drove home Birkenstock with the Ducks’ seventh run of the game on an RBI single up the middle.

Suarez picked up his first win of the season as he allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out two batters in two innings of work.  Sophomore pitcher Scott Picerno (Bayonne, N.J.) earned a three-inning save by retiring nine of the 11 batters he faced.  Picerno only gave up one hit and struck out two in relief.

Meehan was 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored for Stevens.  Frustaci went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and run scored.  Birkenstock had a double and scored twice.  Tesoriero added a hit, one RBI and a run scored.

Sepulveda led the Bloodhounds offensively with a home run, RBI and run scored.  Five other players collected one hit apiece for John Jay, which had its two-game win streak come to an end with the defeat.  Rodriguez (0-2) was saddled with the loss as he allowed eight hits, seven runs (only four of them earned) and two walks while striking out two batters in seven innings.

Stevens will be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts New Jersey City University at 3 p.m.