UNION, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team picked up a big-time victory on Friday afternoon, April 5, as the squad split a road New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader at Kean University. After a high-scoring, 10-5 loss in game one, NJCU served as the home team in game two and defeated the Cougars for the first time since 2018, winning 7-2.

Game 1: Kean 10, NJCU 5
The Gothic Knights (6-11, 1-3 NJAC) kicked things off with yet another early lead with a one-out RBI groundout in the top of the first. Senior righthander Ali Pompey (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) proceeded to toss two hitless innings to start his day, as well. However, the Cougars (14-9, 2-2 NJAC) got on the board for two runs in the home half of the third — those were the only two earned runs Pompey allowed on the afternoon as he tossed 6.1 innings with two earned and five strikeouts in the loss.

Kean took an 8-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six unearned in the inning. The Green and Gold answered with three runs in the top of the fifth. After fifth year outfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) and rookie first baseman Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) led off with a walk and a double, junior catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) plated them both next with a double that bounced over the fence in left. Two at-bats later, sophomore shortstop Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) made it 8-4 with a one-run single. The Cougars had two-run homer in the eighth and NJCU scored one on a groundout in the ninth for the final of 10-5.

Game 2: NJCU 7, Kean 2
As usual, the Gothic Knights got ahead first as rookie outfielder Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) hit a sac fly in the bottom of the first to make it 1-0 after his classmates second baseman Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) and Piacenza led off with singles. Ricourt then made it 2-0 with a one-run double of his own in the bottom of the second before Lunar put NJCU up 3-0, scoring next on a wild pitch.

With freshman righthander Yannid Narvaez (Cartago La Union, Costa Rica/International Christian Academy) dealing, the Gothic Knights continued to tack on runs, thanks to another run-scoring double from Vaughn with two outs in the third to plate Beltra. NJCU pushed another across in the bottom of the fourth with two outs as Lunar once again scored on a wild pitch.

A scoreless fifth — the first scoreless inning of the game — was followed by a two-run top of the sixth for Kean, chasing Narvaez, who finished with a solid line (5.0 innings, two earned runs, two strikeouts) as he earned the first victory of his collegiate career. NJCU got those two runs back in the home half as senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) notched his only hit of the doubleheader, which was a two-run blast to left to make it 7-2.

After allowing a run in the top of the sixth — it was charged to Narvaez — fifth-year pitcher Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) officially tossed 4.0 no-hit innings in relief to lock up his second save in as many appearances, which was also the second of his career. The righthander struck out five of the 13 batters he faced, allowing just one walk.

Highlights:
- Lunar, Vaughn and Piacenza were all 4-for-7 on the day, with Lunar scoring twice and knocking in a run, Vaughn plating three runs with a couple of doubles and a run of his own and the rookie scoring twice, walking once, stealing a base and notching a double.
- Ricourt was 4-for-9 with two doubles, two runs and a RBI. His classmate Beltra was 2-for-6 with a run, a RBI and a sac fly.
- In addition to some strong pitching for Pompey, Narvaez and Reyes, freshman Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) tossed a perfect inning in relief in game one.

Up Next:
No breathers to be had for the Gothic Knights as they get right back to it tomorrow morning, Saturday, April 6, with a home NJAC doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex in Jersey City against Ramapo College, with game one beginning at 11:30 a.m. NJCU swept the Roadrunners in 2022 by a combined 19-13, while Ramapo took the 2023 doubleheader a combined 15-6.