MAHWAH, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team fell in a pair of road New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) games at Ramapo College on Saturday, April 22. The Gothic Knights did nearly everything right in game one, but fell to the Roadrunners in a tight one, 4-3, before Ramapo came away with the 11-3 win in game two.
Game 1: Ramapo 4, NJCU 3
Freshman
Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), who leads NJCU (11-23, 1-13 NJAC) in innings pitched (46.0), strikeouts (31), WHIP (1.59) and complete games (2) this season, tossed yet another gem for the Gothic Knights in game one. The rookie went the full 8.0 innings and allowed four earned to go with five strikeouts, while his squad collected nine hits in the loss to Ramapo (20-13, 7-7 NJAC).
The Roadrunners took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first via a sacrifice fly and then added on to that lead with a run-scoring single in the home half of the season. Neither squad scored in the third and then NJCU finally got on the board to cut Ramapo's lead in half in the top of the fourth. Yarson kicked off the two-out rally with a single to left, advancing to third on a throwing error at short. Sophomore catcher
Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) then drew a walk, which subsequently led to a double steal to plate Yarson. Ramapo would make it 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, which was followed by a scoreless fifth. Then, NJCU once again made it a one-run game in the top of the sixth. Senior rightfielder
Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) led off with a single to center before Yarson got a free bag after being plunked. Then, senior leftfielder
Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) cracked a double down the line in left to place Hernandez and make it a 3-2 game.
After the Roadrunners answered with another run in the home half, neither squad scored until the top of the ninth. Trailing 4-2, Jersey City needed some offense to force more baseball. Freshman first baseman
Adrian Contreras (Union City, N.J./Union City) led off with a single. Senior
Caleb Ware (Newark, N.J./University) came in to pinch run and created some movement on the base pads, wining up on third following a failed pick off and a wild pitch. Junior third baseman
Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) — his 29-game on-base streak came to an end in this one — grounded out to plate Ware and cut the lead to 4-3. Unfortunately, NJCU was unable to muster any further offense and the game came to an end.
Game 2: Ramapo 11, NJCU 3
Jersey City took an early lead in this one as senior
Paul Tannucilli (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) had a quality start, as well. The righthanded knuckleballer went 6.0 innings and allowed five earned runs with four strikeouts — he now has 94 for his career — in the loss. Neither team made any noise until NJCU put up three runs in the top of the third.
Lunar led off with a one-out double down the line in left before he was moved to third with an infield single from Allo. Graduate centerfielder
Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) then collected a RBI with a sac fly to left, making it 1-0. Fernandez followed by drawing a walk before Hernandez knocked in two runs with a double to right, making it 3-0. Unfortunately, the Gothic Knights were unable to score any more runs for the remainder against the Roadrunners.
Up Next:
NJCU returns to action for its annual Hudson County rivalry as the Gothic Knights travel to Hoboken to face the Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday night, April 25, at 7:00 p.m.
