JERSEY CITY, N.J — The New Jersey City University baseball team hosted its final New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) home doubleheader of the season today, April 20, against Stockton University. The Gothic Knights fell in the first game, 11-1, but came back to win the second, 6-5, and split the series to snap the Ospreys' five-game win streak. Stockton entered the day atop of the NJAC standings, and game two's victory is the second this week in which NJCU has split against teams in the top half of the standings, including Thursday's win at #17/18 Montclair State University.
Game 1:
NJCU (12-19, 6-8 NJAC) struck early against the Ospreys (9-13, 10-4 NJAC). In the bottom of the second inning, freshman infielder Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) led off the frame with a single up the middle. Junior catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) followed up with a single of his own to put Piacenza in scoring position, then stealing third on the subsequent batter. With no outs and runners on the corners, senior infielder Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) grounded into a double play that allowed Piacenza to score the first run of the game.
Unfortunately, NJCU would be held to that lone run, as Stockton went on to shut out the Gothic Knights and eventually erupt offensively. The Ospreys took the lead in the fourth, and put up nine combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings en-route to a convincing game one victory. Junior pitcher Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) got the start on the mound and allowed just one hit through his first three innings of work in the loss (3-4). He would go 7.0 innings for the Green and Gold and struck out eight Ospreys before handing over the baseball.
Game 2:
Stockton picked up right where it left off to start the second, as the visitors scored in the top of the first to take an early lead. NJCU responded with a run of its own in the home half of the inning. Piacenza and freshman catcher Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) each worked two-out walks to reach base. Fifth-year outfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) then notched his first hit and RBI of the day with a single through the left side to score Piacenza and tie the game.
The Gothic Knights put up a few more in the third to take the lead. Senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) got things rolling with a one-out single and Piacenza followed with a walk to put another Green and Gold runner in scoring position. Beltra stepped up again, this time hitting a double to center field that knocked in the runner from second. Fernandez followed with a double of his own to plate two more, giving NJCU a 4-1 lead through three innings.
Stockton started to claw its way back into the game in the middle frames, eventually tying the game at 4-4 after seven innings. Freshman pitcher Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), who came on in relief in the seventh, gave up just one hit in the eighth to give his team a chance to regain the lead. An Osprey error in the bottom half allowed a Gothic Knight to reach with one out in the bottom half. Junior outfielder Justin Anthony (East Orange, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) subbed in to pinch run and he advanced to second on a Yarson single to left. Anthony then stole third to put runners on the corners. In his biggest at-bat of the day, Allo stepped up and notched another hit, scoring Anthony and advancing Yarson to scoring position. Piacenza also delivered once again for the Green and Gold, as a one-out sacrifice fly to left, coupled with another Ospreys error, scored Yarson to give NJCU an insurance run going into the ninth.
Stockton did not lie down and managed to get within a run in the top of the ninth. With two outs and the bases juiced, fifth-year pitcher Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) was called upon to record the final out in the top of the ninth and did so for his third save of 2024. Despite giving up Stockton's fourth run, Del Rio (1-2) notched four strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched for the first win of his Gothic Knight career.
Highlights:
- "The Streaks Stay Alive:" Yarson recorded a hit in each game today, extending his hitting streak to 11 straight games. Piacenza and Allo also extended their hitting streaks today as the former now has a hit in six games running, while the latter is at four straight games.
- The 6-5 victory in game two is the first time NJCU has defeated the Ospreys since 2021.
- NJCU boasts a 6-8 record in the NJAC, tied for most conference wins since 2018 when NJCU finished 6-12 in NJAC play and qualified for the ECAC Tournament. The Gothic Knights are currently tied with The College of New Jersey for seventh place in the NJAC standings.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights will hit the road for a mid-week non-conference matchup against the Stevens Institute of Technology. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.