FLEMINGTON, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball squad kicked off its 2022 campaign in style on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 23, with a hard-fought non-conference victory at Diamond Nation over Cairn University by a score of 8-7. On what would normally be a balmy late-February day, the Gothic Knights' bats came alive on a gorgeous afternoon of perfect baseball weather, and some late-inning pitching closed the door on the Highlanders for the NJCU win.
Jersey City (1-0) kicked things off with an early-first inning rally against Cairn (0-1) picking up the 2-0 advantage through one half inning. Junior right fielder Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) started off the season with a leadoff double to center. Then, with two outs and runners on the corners, freshman catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) slapped a single to right to notch NJCU's first RBI of the year. Then, trying to get two runners in scoring position, Vaughn got caught in a pickle between first and second. During the shuffle, senior center fielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) managed to scurry across the plate to make it 2-0 before Vaughn was eventually picked off.
The Highlanders got one back in the bottom half of the next two innings to tie it up at 2-2 after 2.0 innings. Junior righty Berto Reyes' (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) day on the bump came to a close after getting the start and was replaced by another first-year Gothic Knight in junior righthander Ronnie Wallraff (Hillside, N.J./Hillside). The latter tossed 4.0 innings with five strikeouts and one earned. He started off by tossing 2.0 scoreless in the third and fourth, but Jersey City was also shutout through the fifth. Cairn finally got the offense going again in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-2. The first came on a one-out solo shot to left and the second came with two outs as a baserunner stole third and Vaughn's throw to get the runner went awry, allowing him to reach home safely.
The Gothic Knights got those two back quickly in the top of the sixth to tie it right up once again. With one out, Hernandez reached safely on an error in center. The next at-bat, junior infielder Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) knocked a triple to center for the RBI and plated Hernandez. Then, one at-bat later, freshman first baseman Matt Kaliske (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township) notched his first-career RBI with a single to center to score Vizzoni and tie it up.
After a scoreless home half of the sixth, NJCU manufactured a run to take the lead back in the top of the seventh. With one out, junior designated hitter Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) drew a walk and then stole second. He then made his way to third on a groundout. Freshman Salvatore Verlingo (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary) made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the next at-bat and promptly recorded his first-career RBI with a single to center to plate Fernandez and make it 5-4.
Cairn got two back in the home half to retake the lead at 6-5. Jersey City got two back in the top of the eighth to take the lead right back at 7-6. Henandez continued his hot start with another leadoff double, followed by a single from Vizzoni to put runners on the corners. Kaliske then collected his second RBI of the day with a single to left to plate Fernandez and move Vizzoni to second. With two outs and runners on second and third, Vizzoni came home safely on a wild pitch.
The Highlanders tied it back up in the bottom of the eighth and NJCU needed one more to take the lead back in the top of the ninth. Sophomore second baseman Ali Pompey (Belle Meade, N.J./Trenton Catholic) led off by reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Junior Caleb Ware (Newark, N.J./University) then entered as a pinch runner and immediately stole second to get into scoring position. Freshman left fielder Tyler Kittle (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) laid down a bunt to push ware to third. In the next at-bat, Ware took advantage of another wild pitch to score the Gothic Knights' eighth run. Junior righty Frank Shipman (Edison, N.J./Edison) entered the game on the mound for NJCU in the top of the ninth and, after a few sticky situations, managed to shut the door on Cairn for his first-career save.
Highlights:
- Senior right hander John Pudder (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) earned the victory with 2.0 innings pitched and a pair of Ks.
- Vizzoni was 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple and a RBI.
- Hernandez raked in his NJCU debut, going 2-for-5 with two doubles and three runs.
- Kaliske was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. He also stole a base.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights are scheduled to return to action on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 26, at 1:30 p.m. at Caven Point against another non-conference foe in SUNY Brockport.