EWING, N.J. — After a tough game one loss on the road on Saturday, April 13, at the hands of The College of New Jersey, falling 12-0, the New Jersey City University baseball team did not miss a beat. The Gothic Knights regrouped and came back for a strong 6-4 victory in game two to make it three wins over their last four games, all of which were in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play.

The top half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Lions (18-7, 6-3 NJAC) was a tough one for the Gothic Knights (9-16, 4-6 NJAC) as two of their four pitchers combined to allow 12 runs and only three players managed hits. However, the Green and Gold made like goldfish — short memories — and bounced back strong in game two behind some solid starting pitching from sophomore Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), as well as rookie Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) in relief. 

After a scoreless first, the home team took the initial lead, 1-0, in the bottom of the second on a two-out, one-run single. The Gothic Knights answered in the top of the third and took a 3-1 lead, never trailing again. Senior second baseman Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) led off with a walk and eventually made it to third via an error and a passed ball. Then a balk topped it off, allowing him to score from third and make it 1-1. Rookie first baseman Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) reached next via another walk before senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) reached via an error, scoring rookie outfielder Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) from third. Two at-bats later, Yarson did some work with the lumber, smacking a one-run double to left to plate Piacenza.

The Lions did manage to tie it back up at 3-3 with back-to-back two-out doubles in the bottom of the third. After a scoreless fourth, the Gothic Knights once again took the lead in the fifth. Ricourt led off with a one-out single and then got to second on a passed ball. He came around to score next via an error by the pitcher, making it 4-3. TCNJ, however, tied it up once more with a one-out double in the home half.

The sixth and seventh innings were quiet before NJCU scored a pair in the top of the eighth. Allo led off with a single, followed by a walk from freshman catcher Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney). Yarson then got plunked the load the bases. The Gothic Knights tried a double steal after a pitching change, but Allo was thrown out at home. No matter though as, two at-bats later with two outs, junior rightfielder John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) reached on an error, scoring both Beltra and Yarson to make it 6-4.

Yarson tossed the game's first 7.0 innings, allowing four earned with three strikeouts and picked up his second victory of the season on the bump. He gave way to Del Rio in the eighth, and the freshman righthander tossed 2.0 hitless innings, striking out a pair, to earn his second save of the season.

Highlights:
- Yarson finished his day with a combined 3-for-6 performance at the plate, as well. He scored once, had a double, a RBI, a stolen base and was hit once.
- Ricourt was a combined 3-for-9 with two runs, as well.
- Freshman Derek Bauernschmidt (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) tossed the final 1.2 innings of game one, allowing no runs on two hits with a strikeout.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action for a home-and-home series with NJAC rival and #12-ranked Montclair State University. NJCU squares off with the Red Hawks at Yogi Bera Stadium in Montclair on Thursday, April 18, at 3:30 p.m. and then hosts them at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on Friday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m., as well.