UNION, N.J. — Following a four-day break and the first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory of the season, the New Jersey University baseball team returned to the diamond today, April 22, to take on #14 (d3baseball.com/NCBWA) Kean University. The squad ultimately fell to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) first-place team 10-4. Leading the way offensively this afternoon for the Gothic Knights was the top of their order, as the 1-2-3 hitters mustered all four hits and collected two RBI in the defeat.  

The Green and Gold (9-21, 1-10 NJAC) sent out junior Justin Wiltsey (Hamilton Township, N.J./Hamilton West) to make his team-high sixth start of the season. The squad did not help the right-hander defensively today, making four errors in the first six innings that led to five unearned runs against Wiltsey. The Hamilton Township native only surrendered three earned runs, punching out two, while allowing nine hits during his 6.0 inning, 117-pitch performance.

NJCU attacked the Cougars (27-6, 10-1 NJAC) in the first opportunity at the plate, taking an early 1-0 lead. Retuning to the top of the order today was junior Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) and the outfielder remained patient, drawing an eight-pitch walk to get the ballgame going. After the free-pass was a line drive base-hit by fellow outfielder senior Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional). This base-hit through the right side by Voss put him into 11th in the NJAC with 44 base-knocks and pushed Hernandez into scoring position for the three-hole hitter, junior Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic). The third baseman did his job, bringing in Hernandez on a ground ball to shortstop, giving Jersey City the 1-0 lead heading into the bottom-half of the first. 

Kean made the most of the two Gothic Knight blunders in the bottom-half, dropping five runs in the inning and taking 5-1 lead. The right-hander for NJCU would settle in, allowing only three hits and surrendering two runs (one earned) over the next 4.0 innings on the bump. 

Fast forwarding to the sixth inning, Hernandez reignited the Jersey City bats by hitting a laser down the right-field line and over the fence for his third homerun on the year. The Florida native is now tied with sophomore Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) for third on the team in homeruns, trailing only Voss (7) and Vizzoni (4). In the bottom-half of the inning, Wiltsey allowed two unearned runs, ending his afternoon with the squad trailing 9-2 heading into the seventh. Not letting up, Jersey City dropped half of its runs in the seventh, almost cutting the deficit in half. Jumping on the Cougar mistakes, Moreno came around the bases after he reached on walk, stole second and then advance to the plate thanks to a Kean error. Getting the start in leftfield today was sophomore David Duran (Kearny, N.J./Kearny), and the Kearny native collected his sixth RBI of the year by knocking in junior Jon Taylor (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) on a fielder's choice. 

Head coach Jerry Smith turned to junior Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) to keep the Kean offense at ease in the seventh and the right-hander was perfect, sending down three Cougar hitters in order. But, the Blue and White would drop another run in the following inning, ultimately taking home their 10th NJAC victory of the season, 10-4.

Up Next:
NJCU gets the opportunity to avenge its defeat against Kean at the Cougars the Gerrity tomorrow, April 22. First pitch for tomorrow's sunny afternoon NJAC clash is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.