CAMDEN, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team played a pair of tight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) contests on the road on Sunday, April 16, against Rutgers-Camden. The Gothic Knights got a solid pitching performance once again from rookie
Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) in game one, but fell to the Scarlet Raptors, 5-1. Game two saw NJCU's offense come to life in the early innings, but Jersey City again fell to Camden, 8-5.
Game 1: Rutgers-Camden 5, NJCU 1
The Green and Gold (10-19, 1-9 NJAC) looked to take an early lead in this one against the Scarlet Raptors (19-11, 5-5 NJAC) as they had two runners on with two outs. Yarson notched a base-hit and Voss looked to score from second, but was unfortunately thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Rutgers-Camden got to Yarson for one in the home half, but the freshman limited the damage to just that. NJCU then tied it up in the top of the second. Sophomore first baseman Joshn Abrahamsen led off with a single to the gap in right before senior leftfielder
Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) doubled to the gap in left to put two runners in scoring position. Two at-bats later with one out, rookie shortstop
Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) tied the game up for his 23rd RBI of the season with an infield single to his counterpart, knotting the game up at 1-1.
Yarson sent the Raptors down in order in the home half and then again in the bottom of the third. Camden eventually got to the rookie righthander for a couple in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Neither side made much noise again until the seventh. Hot-hitting junior third baseman
Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) led off with a base-hit — he was out in the next at-bat on Voss' fielder's choice. Voss stole second to put a runner in scoring position, but was unable to make it home. Rutgers then tallied an unearned run in the home half to make it 4-1. Jersey City tried again in the top of the eighth as Yarson led off with a walk. Abrahamsen then singled to put two runners on, however a subsequent double-play followed by a groundout ended the momentum. The Raptors tallied one final run in the home half to ice it at 5-1.
Game 1 Highlights:
- Yarson went 7.1 inning in the start, allowing four earned with three strikeouts. He was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk.
- Allo's single extended his on-base streak to 25 games after game one.
- Voss was 1-for-2 with a stolen bases, but also reached three times on walks. He leads NJCU with 20 on the season.
- Abrahamsen finished 3-for with a run scored.
Game 2: Rutgers-Camden 8, NJCU 5
This one started out as all Gothic Knights. Allo led off the top of the first with another base hit, extending his on-base streak to 26 games. Two at-bats later, with one away, Voss launched third home run of the season — a two-run shot — to make it 2-0. He now has a program-record 20 for his career, continuing to build upon his all-time lead set earlier in the week. However, Rutgers-Camden got both of those runs back via couple of errors in the home half to tie it up at 2-2. Not discouraged, NJCU plated three more in the top of the second to take a 5-2 lead, all during a two-out rally. Lunar started it off with a walk and a steal before Allo walked, as well. Senior rightfielder
Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) then smacked a double to the gap in left that hopped over the fence for a one-run ground-rule. Voss then came in clutch with a two-run single in the following at bat to extend the lead.
Unfortunately for Jersey City, the visitors were unable to muster any offense for the remainder of the day, while the Scarlet Raptors quickly tied it back up at 5-5 with a three-run bottom of the second, as well. Neither team produced anything offensively until the bottom of the sixth inning when Rutgers-Camden made it 6-5. NJCU went down in order in the seventh and the home team closed out the scoring for the day with a two-run home half, making it 8-5.
Game 2 Highlights:
- Allo was 1-for-4 with two runs a walk and a stolen base.
- Hernandez was 2-for-5 with two doubles, a walk and a run.
- Voss was 2-for-5 with four RBI, a home and a run.
- Yarson was 2-for-5.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Tuesday, April 18, for a non-conference single game at home at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex against The College at Old Westbury, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
