JERSEY CITY, N.J. — On a brisk afternoon, after an original 12:30 p.m. start time was delayed until 1:00 p.m. due to temperature concerns, the New Jersey City University baseball team hosted its first home game of the season at it's home away from home — Caven Point Field — on Sunday, Feb. 12, and took on Haverford College. After a near-four hour game that saw 24 combined runs, NJCU defeated the Fords 17-7 with a display of explosive offense.
Jersey City (1-1) trailed early 2-0 after the top half of the first. In the bottom half, the Gothic Knights answered back instantly, as senior outfielder Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) led off with a bang, producing his first home run of the season making the score 2-1. Similar to how the second run came across the plate for Haverford (0-2), senior Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic), who played his first-career game in leftfield, drew a walk and stole second two pitches later, before scoring the game-tying run by virtue of an error.
The second saw the game's first pitching change just two pitches in, as senior Paul Tannucilli (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) entered and subsequently pitched 4.0-plus strong innings to put himself in a winning position. Tannucilli's knuckleball was especially effective over his first two innings of work, as he produced a 1-2-3 top half of the third inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, he finally got run support, scored two runs via RBI singles from both freshman Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) and junior second baseman Ali Pompey (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) to make it 4-2.
The Fords answered back with a run in the top of the fourth, but the Gothic Knights bats stayed hot as senior outfielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) produced a RBI single along with a second run crossing the plate thanks to a Haverford error. Voss would then score two batters later as Yarson again produced with runners in scoring position, providing the Gothic Knights with a RBI triple. Then, with runners on the corners, NJCU got crafty as junior first baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) drew a throw attempting to steal second base, allowing Yarson to catch the defense off guard and score on a delayed steal of home. At the end of the fourth, NJCU led 8-3.
The cycle then repeated in the fifth as Haverford scored on in the top half. This time, NJCU answered with three runs as Hernandez plated freshman shortstop Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) on a double to left center field, as well as a Vizzoni RBI single and a Yarson sacrifice fly allowing them to crack double digits up 11-4. Senior pitcher Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) entered the game in a bases loaded jam, but was only able to collect two outs as three runs crossed the plate credited, all credited to Tannucilli. Yarson then entered to pitch from the designated hitter spot to close out the inning and did so. Luckily for NJCU, that became the last time runners crossed home plate for Haverford as both Yarson and Hernandez combined for 3.1 shutout innings to close out the game, allowing just one hit.
As for the offense, NJCU was not done. After going scoreless in the sixth, they plated another run in the seventh to lead 12-5. Then, with the game nearing a close, the offense saved its best for last, as Lunar, Hernandez, Voss and sophomore catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) all produced RBI singles. Another run crossed the plate as Vizzoni scored via a wild pitch and NJCU lead by 10 at 17-7 at the end of the eight. Hernandez then closed things out, providing a 1-2-3 top of the ninth with two quick strikeouts to seal the deal and score the Green and Gold's first win of the season.
Highlights:
- Voss had himself a career day, as the graduate student posted a career-high five hits and is now just 12 hits shy of being the 11th player in program history to join the 150 hit club.
- Vizzoni also tallied three-plus hits in a game for just the third time in his career, as he had a strong 3-for-4 day at the plate.
- After entering on the mound in relief today, Yarson has opened up his Gothic Knight career with three straight scoreless innings out of the pen along with tallying his first career hits, triple and RBI today.
- Along with hitting his sixth-career NCAA home run today, Hernandez is now 6-for-8 to open the season with four RBIs and eight runs scored.
- Additionally, Hernandez has not allowed an earned run since March 31, 2022, against St. Elizabeth University, extending the streak to 15.1 consecutive innings.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights travel to Hackettstown, N.J., Wednesday, March 1, as they take on the Centenary University Cyclones. Opening pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Green and Gold look to make it three straight wins against the Cyclones.
