WAYNE, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team had a tough day at the plate and on the mound today, Saturday, March 20, as the Gothic Knights dropped a pair of non-conference games on the road to William Paterson University, 18-1 in game one and 8-1 in game two.

NJCU (2-5) mustered one run on three hits in the first game of the day against the Pioneers (4-1). Senior second baseman Brandon Rivera (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional) was 1-for-3 with a RBI and was hit by a pitch. Junior catcher Sebastian Bellone (Matawan, N.J./St. John Vianney) was 1-for-4 at the dish. Freshman third baseman Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

The Gothic Knights got their run across in the top half of the eighth inning when Moreno led off with his two-bagger to left. Sophomore Christopher Hess (Easton, Pa./Easton) reached safely on a throwing error by the Pioneer pitcher in the next at-bat to put two men on. After a pair of strikeouts, Rivera knocked a RBI-single through the right side to plate Moreno.

Seven pitchers saw the mound for NJCU in this one. Sophomore Justin Wiltsey (Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Hamilton West) got the start and went 3.0, allowing three earned on seven hits and a pair of walks with three strikeouts. Junior Eddie Zarszynski (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) tossed the games final inning, allowing no runs on one hit.

Game two saw five more pitchers, including one overlapping reliever in junior John Pudder (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) — he totaled a full 1.0 inning of one-hit ball with two strikeouts between the two games — as sophomore Jon Taylor (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) got saddled with the loss despite a decent, brief outing as the starter. He went 2.0 innings, allowed one run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Freshman Nick Chiappisi (Toms River, N.J./Manchester Township) and Hess each tossed an inning without allowing a run.

Offensively, Rivera was 2-for-4 and once again registered NJCU's lone RBI in the game. Moreno was 1-for-4, while junior first baseman Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. The Gothic Knights run came in the top of the ninth after Voss reached on a one-out walk and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rivera came up two at-bats later and brought Voss home with a two-out RBI single through the right side before the next at-bat ended the afternoon.

What's Next:
NJCU heads to Montclair, N.J., for another non-conference doubleheader, this time against Montclair State University on Friday, March 26, at 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.