JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Prior to last week, over the past five years the Gothic Knights have only scored 20 or more runs in one game and this game was back in 2017 against Mount Saint Mary College, in which the squad scored 21 runs in the victory. However, for the second time in five days, the New Jersey City University Baseball time erupted for 20 runs at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. This time, the squad defeated the Baruch College Bearcats 20-2 on Tuesday afternoon, March, 22.

The offense was not the only aspect of the NJCU (6-6) lineup that shined today, as junior right-hander Julian Fernandez (Union, N.J./Union) chucked the best game of his Gothic Knight career. This afternoon, Fernandez made the first start of his collegiate career and notched career-highs in strikeouts (8), innings pitched (6.0) and pitches thrown (103). The stellar arm did not let up a run until his final inning of work in the sixth — both came unearned — but the Gothic Knight did not have to worry as his offense gave him a comfortable 18-0 lead at that point. The junior now drops his earned run average to a eye-popping 0.64 with 14.0 innings pitched over five appearances. To cap it all off, Fernandez was awarded his first-career victory wearing the Green and Gold.

Following the 1-2-3 top of the first inning by Fernandez, the NJCU bats wasted no time getting their starter comfort room, dropping seven runs in the bottom half against the Bearcats (0-5). The massive first inning was led by the top-of-the-order — junior right fielder Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community), senior center fielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) and junior third baseman Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) all earned free-bases, giving the clean-up hitter senior catcher Mitchell Leslie (Gibbstown, N.J./Gloucester Tech) a chance to do some damage. Leslie scorched a ball up the middle to bring home the lead-off hitter Hernandez. Then, freshman first baseman Matt Kaliske (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township) did his job by knocking in Voss via sacrifice fly. NJCU was not finished mashing yet, as it was the infielders turn, starting with sophomore second baseman Ali Pompey (Belle Meade, N.J./Trenton Catholic) bringing in Leslie and Vizzoni after he lined a ball to left field. Sophomore shortstop Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) turned the lineup over, as he collected two RBI himself by lining a ball to center field. Hernandez came to the plate again in the first, but this time he hit a ball down the right field line to plate home Moreno and give Jersey City a 7-0 lead. 

After a Kalsike RBI single in the second, the Gothic Knights exploded again by scoring eight runs in the third inning. The squad made the most of the Bearcats mistakes, drawing six free bases in the inning and Voss capturing two hits in the inning (single and a double). But, how might you ask did the Gothic Knights score eight runs on six walks and only two hits? Well, Hernandez did something that no other Green and Gold slugger has done in nearly four years, dating back to April 11, 2018 — hit a grand slam. The Florida native knocked in juniors designated hitter Jon Taylor (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) and left fielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial), along with Moreno with one swing of the bat. The lead-off man hit a no-doubt blast over the right field fence to push the NJCU lead to 16-0. This was the first homerun of the Middlesex County College transfer's NCAA career.

Another scoreless 1-2-3 inning for Fernandez gave the scorching Gothic Knight bats another opportunity to pour some runs on. Moreno led off the bottom half of the fifth by barreling a ball to left field. Hernandez came up with his third extra base hit of the game, another double to right field to put runners on second and third. Notching his first RBI of the season next was sophomore framer Ricky Tuero (West New York, N.J./Memorial), who knocked in Moreno on a fielders-choice and give his team the lead 18-0 heading into the sixth. However, the Bearcats did damage to the NJCU lead, scoring two runs in the top-half of the sixth to cut the deficit 18-2.

Head coach Jerry Smith turned to his bench, bringing in freshman Salvatore Verlingo (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary) to lead-off the bottom half of the sixth inning. The young Gothic Knight wasted no time by lining a ball up the middle for his first of two hits on the afternoon. Voss kept his smooth swing rocking as he knocked his third hit of the day. Following a drawn hit-by-pitch from freshman Riley Morrow (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), Tuero knocked in yet another run by also taking one for the team as he wore a pitch off his back with the bases loaded to give the squad 19 runs. Capping off the inning was freshman outfielder Tyler Kittle (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah), who hit a moon-shot to center field that allowed Voss to score and give the squad 20-2 lead. Finishing up the electric performance for Jersey City on the mound was the duo of right-handers freshman Frank Shipman (Edison, N.J./Edison) and junior Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth). The two Gothic Knight arms finished the eighth and ninth combined for no runs and just one hit allowed. Reyes led the squad to the handshakes, finishing the game by striking out three straight Bearcats to nail down the 20-2 NJCU victory. 

Up Next:
The squad will return to the field tomorrow, March 23, (weather pending) as the Gothic Knights head back to Pennsylvania but this time, Aston, P.a. The game is a make-up from the rain-out game two of the March 7 doubleheader against Penn State-Brandywine during the NJCU Florida Spring Trip. Before the rain, Jersey City fell in a 8-5 thriller. First-pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. under the Maple Zone lights.