February 21, 2020

In Earliest Gothic Knight Baseball Game Ever Played in New Jersey, NJCU Drops 2020 Season Opener to Stevens, 3-2

Batting

New Jersey City
2B: Tyler Springett
3B: none
HR: none
Stevens
2B: none
3B: none
HR: Ryan Finegan
full stats

HOBOKEN,  N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In the earliest baseball game ever played in the state of New Jersey in the 72-year history of the New Jersey City University baseball program, the Gothic Knights held a 2-0 lead before Stevens Institute of Technology scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and held on for a 3-2 non-conference victory at Dobbelaar Field on February 21.

 

The temperature at first pitch was 34 degrees with wind chills hovering in the mid 20s, and it wasn't just the temperatures that were cold. The two schools combined for just eight hits; five for the hosts Ducks (3-1) and three for NJCU (0-1). Stevens pitching struck out 16 of the 36 NJCU batters it faced.

 

The game marked the second earliest season opener in the history of the program; the Knights opened the 2013 season on February 15 of that year with a three-day trip to Virginia. This year's opener equaled the earliest ever game NJCU has played north of the Mason-Dixon line; it opened the 2009 season on February 21 of that season in a doubleheader at Farmingdale State.

 

The loss spoiled a magnificent debut for freshman right-handed pitcher Justin Wiltsey. He faced 18 batters in a no-decision effort, allowing one run against two hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Senior righty Ian Ambrose came on in relief in the sixth; he only allowed three hits against two runs, striking out two without a walk, but was charged with the loss (0-1). Sophomore closer John Pudder struck out one of the two batters he faced.

 

Sophomore left fielder Leo Colon, sophomore first baseman Ricky Voss and freshman shortstop Tyler Springett each had hits for NJCU.

 

Senior righty Michael Frissora (Fair Haven, N.J.) started and struck out nine against three walks in 6.0 innings for Stevens, allowing two unearned runs and two hits. Sophomore Hunter Counton (Maryville, Ill.) fanned three of the five batters he faced in one inning of work, allowing one hit. Junior righty Alex Smith (Wall, N.J.) earned the win (1-0) in relief, striking out four in 2.0 innings.

 

NJCU took advantage of three Stevens errors in the top of the fourth when it scored both of its runs on a dropped fly ball to first base. Stevens got an unearned back in the sixth when a throwing error allowed the Ducks first run to come home from third on a ground ball double play.

 

NJCU's best chance to add to its lead was the seventh when Springett doubled to right with two outs for his first career hit but stranded there.

 

Stevens tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh when sophomore center fielder Ryan Finegan (Cumming, Ga.) homered over the short fence in right with one out.

 

In the top of the eighth, NJCU put two men on with walks by senior right fielder Bill Feehan and junior second baseman Brandon Rivera before a strikeout ended the threat. Then in bottom of the eighth, junior Nate Zuckerman (Boca Raton, Fla.) pinch hit in a leadoff role, was hit by a pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single by sophomore designated hitter Tom James (Murrieta, Calif.). NJCU was retired 1-2-3 in the ninth to end it.

 

NOTABLES:

  • After last year's game with Stevens was postponed and eventually cancelled due to severe cold, the teams were meeting for the first time since 2018—another game decided by one run (5-4). 
  • The game was only the third contest played during the month of February in program history.

 

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