SAN ANTONIO, Texas (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After scoring just one run on the first two days of its Texas spring trip, the New Jersey City University baseball team produced six multi-run innings, separating itself from Howard Payne University with three runs in the sixth and seventh, en route to a 15-10 victory over the Yellow Jackets on March 9 in a neutral site game played at Trinity University.
 
NJCU (1-6) won its first game of the season while knocking off a Howard Payne (7-11) squad that has already played 18 games and went 26-16 a year ago. HPU, members of the American Southwest Conference (ASC) is located in Brownwood, Texas and is the first West Texas opponent NJCU has ever faced. The Gothic Knights won their first ever game in the Central time zone. The game lasted 3:50.
 
In the first of two games played on the day, NJCU collected 13 hits and walked nine times versus just six strikeouts. Sophomore first baseman Ricky Voss (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) was the biggest bat for the Knights, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, three runs, a two-run homer and an RBI double. Freshman right fielder Justin Wiltsey (Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Hamilton West) scored four times, batting 2-for-4.
 
Sophomore left fielder Miguel Valentin (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) had a three-run homer, batting 2-for-5 while senior center fielder Juan Pena (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) added three RBIs and two runs. Freshman third baseman Michael Marrero (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) walked three times and scored three times. Sophomore designated hitter Leo Colon (Carteret, NJ/St. Anthony (Jersey City)) had two hits while junior second baseman Brandon Rivera (Aberdeen, NJ/Matawan Regional) scored twice.
 

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tom Paul (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro), the second of eight NJCU pitchers to throw, earned his first win as a member of the program (1-0), allowing one run and two hits in 2.1 innings of relief. No NJCU arm threw more than 2.1 innings.
 
For HPU, freshman shortstop Derek Gifford (Stephenville, Texas) batted 3-for-6 with three RBIs, two runs and a triple while freshman catcher Seth Stephens (Bonham, Texas) added a 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and a run scored.
 
Senior Ethan Cerna (Corpus Christi, Texas) started for the Yellow Jackets and took the loss (0-1). In 3.0 innings, he surrendered six runs on five hits, walking four. HPU used five pitchers in the loss. HPU pitching threw seven wild pitches.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the first inning, Marrero led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch. With two outs, Voss singled, Pena walked and Valentin slammed his second career homer, a three-run shot off the scoreboard in left field, for a 4-0 lead.
• The Yellow Jackets responded in the bottom of the first, scoring four unearned runs after a one-out throwing error. With the bases loaded following a pair of singles, Gifford cleared the bases with a three-run triple down the right field line and scored on a double by Stephens to tie the game, 4-4.
• In the bottom of the second, HPU loaded the bases with no outs on two walks and a hit batter and claimed a 5-4 lead on a sac sacrifice fly by sophomore center fielder Jonathan McKay (League City, Texas) before senior righty Ian Ambrose, the starter, got out of the jam with a strikeout and a pop up to third.
• NJCU regained a 6-5 lead in the top of the third as WIltsey led off with a single and Voss hit a two-run homer to right—his second of the year. NJCU loaded the bases after an error, single and walk but an infield pop fly prevented further run production.
• NJCU added a run in the fourth. Wiltsey walked and stole second, Voss walked and he and Wiltsey combined for a double steal. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Pena drove in a run with a groundout.
• In the fifth, Stephens doubled to lead off and scored on a single by freshman third baseman Wylan Kolts (Fort Worth, Texas) and a hit batter put two men on. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Paul Tannucilli (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) entered in relief and got an infield fly and pop-up to shallow center to end the threat.
• NJCU added three runs in the sixth to extend its lead to 10-6. Marrero led off with a walk and eventually scored on a pair of wild pitches. Rivera, who reached on an error, later scored on the second error of the inning, allowing Pena to reach. Pena stole second and third and scored on an RBI single by sophomore designated hitter Leo Colon (Carteret, NJ/St. Anthony (Jersey City)).
• The Yellow Jackets rallied again in the bottom of the sixth. After a walk and a single with one out, Stephens singled up the middle to drive in two runs. A walk loaded the bases with two outs before sophomore righty John Pudder (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan), who came on in relief, got a fielder's choice to end the threat.
• The Knights got three key runs in the seventh. With one out, Marrero singled, Rivera doubled and Wiltsey was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch brought in the 11th run. Pena's 98th career hit drove in Rivera and Wiltsey made it 13-8 when he crossed on another wild pitch.
• NJCU added two insurance runs in the ninth. Wiltsey led off with a single and Voss drove him in with an RBI double before coming around for the final run on a wild pitch. HPU got two runs in the bottom of the ninth, including an RBI triple from sophomore Stephen Prewitt (Jewett, Texas).

 
NOTABLES:

• Ricky Voss (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional) hit his fourth career homer for NJCU.
• NJCU was without Bill Feehan (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) who only was available for the first two days of the trip.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU plays nationally No. 4 ranked Trinity University in the second game of the day.
• Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=296691 
• Video: https://trinitytigers.com/sports/bsb/2019-20/live/200309_NJC 

 
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