HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team EXPLODED for 17 runs for the second straight game today, Thursday, March 2, as the Gothic Knights dominated Centenary University on the road. NJCU, led by another outstanding offensive effort from senior outfielder
Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) — he went 4-for-5 with seven RBI and launched two dingers, including a grand slam — coupled with a strong outing on the bump by junior righty
Ali Pompey (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic), topped the Cyclones, 17-4.
Jersey City (2-1) got it started quickly with its second-highest offensive output inning of the day in the top of the first. Graduate outfielder
Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) started off with a double to move senior infielder
Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) to third before sophomore catcher
Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) knocked in Vizzoni with a single. Rookie designated hitter
Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) the singled home Voss. With two outs, sophomore outfielder
John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) hit a two-run double to make it 4-0.
Pompey's bottom half was a 1-2-3 inning before the Gothic Knights put up two more against Centenary (2-2) in the top of the second thanks a two-run shot by Hernandez, his second of the season. Leading 6-1, the Green and Gold put up three more runs in the top of the fourth. With one out and the bases loaded, Vaughn came through with a bases-clearing double to give him four RBI on the day. Then, up 9-3, NJCU got one more via a sacrifice fly from Voss with one out in the top of the sixth to make it 10-3.
The Gothic Knights then exploded for five runs in the seventh. With the bases loaded and no outs, junior infielder
Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) hit a sac fly to left for the first run. Then, after rookie infielder
Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) was plunked by a Cyclone pitch to load the bases once more, Hernandez stepped into the box and blasted one out of the park for the third grand slam of his NCAA career — he hit two last season — to make it 15-3.
NJCU got two more across in the top of the eighth to make it 17-3. Lunar started with a two-out single to plate senior
Caleb Ware (Newark, N.J./University) before Hernandez followed to plate Lunar in the next at-bat with a one-run triple.
Highlights:
- Pompey got the win after tossing 6.0 innings. He struck out seven and allowed two earned on four hits.
- Seniors
Justin Wiltsey (Hamilton Township, N.J./Hamilton West) and
Frank Shipman (Edison, N.J./Edison) each tossed scoreless innings of relief, as well.
- Vaughn finished 3-for-5 with four RBI, a double and a run.
- Lunar was 2-for-4 with four runs, a triple and a RBI.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action when they host Moravian University on Tuesday afternoon, March 7, at 3:00 p.m.
