JERSEY CITY, N.J. – In what looks like, at first glance, to be the score of a football game, we can assure you that the New Jersey City University baseball squad did in fact win a non-conference clash against Saint Elizabeth University, 23-11, on Thursday afternoon, March 31, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The game was officially called due to darkness in the eighth inning, as the Gothic Knights scored the most runs as a program in a single game in seven years, dating back to when they defeated Principia College, 25-16, on March 10, 2015, in Winter Haven, Fla.
 
NJCU (8-9) held a hit parade on the afternoon as three players – senior centerfielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional), junior third baseman Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) and sophomore shortstop Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) – recorded at least five RBI, while each member of that trio also launched two home runs. Junior leftfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) also launched a long ball to join in on the fun. Vizzoni, who had his first-career grand slam and also tripled – both in the bottom of the fourth – came a double shy of the cycle after going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, as well as walking twice. Moreno, who did not have an extra-base yet this season, launched the first two dingers of his collegiate career – one of which was also a grand slam – and finished with a whopping seven RBI.
 
After actually falling behind in the top of the first thanks a two-run homer from the Eagles (5-12), Jersey City answered with a pair in the home half – a one-run double from Voss and a sacrifice fly from freshman first baseman Matt Kaliske (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township) – to make it 2-2. Starting pitcher junior Julian Fernandez (Union, N.J./Union) worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second – he is now 2-0 on the season after today's 5.0 inning outing, in which he notched three strikeouts and allowed three earned runs – and then NJCU took its first lead of the day with three runs on a pair of homers to make it 5-2. Fernandez – the outfielder, not the pitcher – led off with a moonshot to left and then, after a double to the gap in right from freshman catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), Moreno jacked his first-career blast over the wall in left to plate two.
 
Both teams were silent in the third, and after Saint Elizabeth scratched one across in the top of the fourth, the Gothic Knight bats exploded in the home half to the tune of 13 runs to make it 18-3. Moreno started it off with a one-run single and then, with the bases loaded, Vizzoni made one disappear over the fence in left to blow it open at 10-3 with the grand slam. Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Moreno launched his second of the day – another NJCU grand slam – to make it 14-3. Two batters later, Voss launched a two-run shot to right. After Vizzoni tripled to follow, senior designated hitter Mitchell Leslie (Gibbstown, N.J./Gloucester Tech) knocked a one-run single to center. Finally, two at-bats later, sophomore second baseman Ali Pompey (Belle Meade, N.J./Trenton Catholic) plated one more with a RBI-single to left.
 
Once again, both teams went scoreless in the fifth, and then the Eagles knocked in three runs in the top of the sixth to make it 18-6. However, the Green and Gold tacked on a pair in the home half to make it 20-6. Vizzoni crossed the plate first following a one-run single from Pompey and then junior second baseman Jon Taylor (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) scored in the next at-bat following a fielder's choice RBI from his classmate leftfielder David Duran (Kearny, N.J./Kearny). St. Elizabeth had its biggest inning of the day next, scoring five in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 20-11. However, that was short lived as Voss and Vizzoni made quick work with back-to-back jacks in the home half to make it 23-11, which would be the final.
 
Highlights:
- Voss was 3-for-5, scoring four times, had five RBI, a double, a pair of homers and was hit by a pitch. He leads NJCU in batting (.468), runs (29), doubles (9), home runs (5) and RBI (25). Voss also leads the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) in on-base percentage (.578) and OPS (1.497) and is second in slugging (.919).
- Pompey was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, scored once and was hit by a pitch.
- Vaughn finished the day 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and scored twice.
- Moreno ended up 3-for-4 with three runs and a walk to go with his two homers and seven RBI.
 
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights finally open up NJAC play for the 2022 season on Saturday, April 2, when they travel down to Ewing, N.J., to face off with The College of New Jersey for a twin-bill. Game one is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. first pitch, with game two to follow shortly after the completion of the first half of the doubleheader.