MADISON, N.J. — For the first time since winning the season-opener, the New Jersey City University baseball team moved to one game over .500 after defeating fellow Jersey rival Drew University this afternoon, Friday, March 25. This is also the fourth win in the last five games for the squad. Despite scoring 57 runs over this stretch, Jersey City was led today by freshman Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield), who had his best performance of his young Gothic Knight career, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings with two punchouts, while only allowing four hits. This stellar performance by the right-hander gave him his first-career victory and dropped his ERA by nearly four points.

The offense accomplished all it needed to and nothing more for NJCU (7-6) today, scoring two runs on six hits. The attack was led by senior catcher Mitchell Leslie (Gibbstown, N.J./Gloucester Tech) as the cleanup hitter led Jersey City with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate during the low-scoring affair, including a RBI-single in the sixth to give the squad a 2-0 lead. 

Starting of the sunny afternoon was lead-off hitter junior right fielder Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community), who notched a base-hit up the middle and then stole second to move into scoring position for the middle of the scorching-hot Gothic Knight lineup. Senior center fielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) advanced Hernandez by pulling a ground ball to second. NJCU would have to wait for the lead, as the junior third baseman Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) lined a ball to the third base bag for the inning-ending double play. 

On the mound, Dean worked in and out of trouble, but the freshman kept his composure throughout and officially stranded five Rangers (2-14) on-base, including four in scoring position in his first career victory. Finally, the NJCU bats came to life after Leslie led the top half of the fifth inning with a rocket to the opposite field for the double. A walk by fellow junior left fielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) put pressure on the Rangers with two runners on and one out. The Green and Gold made the most of the Drew mistakes and scored on an error following a ground ball by sophomore second baseman Ali Pompey (Belle Meade, N.J./Trenton Catholic) to give the lead to NJCU at 1-0.

In the bottom-half of the inning, Dean surrendered a leadoff base-hit, but he did not have to worry long as his battery-partner Mitchell gunned down a Ranger runner trying to steal second, giving the momentum back to the Gothic Knights with three innings to play. Later on, Voss continued is on-base streak to 15 games (dating back to last season) with a huge double to left field, again putting a runner into scoring position for the middle of the order. Again, the catcher for the Green and Gold came up with a clutch base-hit, knocking in Voss via a lazer to the opposite-field, extending the NJCU lead to 2-0. 

This was all the runs support Jersey City's pitching staff needed. After Dean completed his final inning of work in the sixth, junior Justin Wiltsey (Hamilton Township, N.J./Hamilton West) came in to close the door. The right-hander did just that, finishing the final three innings of work without allowing a single Ranger run. The junior was dominate in his action on the mound, allowing just two hits and one walk. But Wiltsey had to thank his middle-infield at the end of the game, as the duo of sophomore shortstop Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) and Pompey turned two double-plays over the final two innings. The right-hander finished the game on his own, getting a Ranger to swing and miss to seal the 2-0 victory and registered the first save of his career.

Up Next:
The squad gets to enjoy this victory for a whole 12 hours before returning to action once again tomorrow, Saturday, March 26, to take on the Muhlenberg College Mules. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. in Allentown, Pa.