JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University baseball team continued New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action Thursday, April 27, as the Gothic Knights hosted Rutgers-Newark. In a game that was relatively a pitchers duel, NJCU topped the Scarlet Raiders 4-2.
Jersey City (12-24, 2-13 NJAC) saw senior pitcher Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) get the start as he limited the Rutgers-Newark (20-14-1, 4-10-1 NJAC) batting opportunities early. Vizzoni led off the game allowing a single, but eventually erased the runner virtue of a pickoff leading to an eventual retirement of the Scarlet Raiders in order.
NJCU provided Vizzoni run support early, as a hit by pitch, walk, and bloop single set up the bases loaded for senior outfielder Josh Hernandez (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community). Herndandez, who worked a lengthy at bat, eventually worked a walk making the score 1-0. A batter later freshman second baseman Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) grounded into a double play, but it was enough to score graduate outfielder Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) who walked earlier in the inning putting NJCU up 2-0.
Vizzoni came back out in the second looking stronger than the first as he immediately retired the first two batters he faced. Vizzoni found minor trouble after allowing a double a batter later but good pitches immediately put him in a spot to pitch out of the jam. Vizzoni only got stronger from that point on, especially in moments where NJCU needed him most.
NJCU gave Vizzoni more run support in the fourth with two outs, as junior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) came up in the clutch, blistering a line drive to left field bringing home both junior first baseman D.J. Dekis (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) and senior outfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) made it 4-0 NJCU. These runs turned out to be the most crucial for NJCU down the stretch.
Vizzoni continued pitching remarkably as after allowing the double in the second, he'd go on to retire fourteen of the next sixteen batters he faced, only walking two hitters and not allowing a single hit. The key for Vizzoni over that stretch, first pitch strikes, constantly being ahead in the counts, and having flawless defense in the field behind. NJCU still lead 4-0 into the top of the seventh.
Newark finally woke the bats up, as back to back singles off of Vizzoni put a runner in scoring position. Despite losing the shutout Vizzoni stepped to the occasion buckling up and coming up big, as he retired the next three three batters keeping the ball on the ground in the infield, only allowing a single run to cross the plate virtue of one of those outs, cutting Rutgers-Newark's deficit to 4-1. This inning turned out to also be Vizzoni's last as his final statline read 7.0 strong innings pitched, only allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out and walking two along the way putting himself and NJCU in a winning situation.
Hernandez relieved Vizzoni in the eighth, and struggled early after allowing a leadoff double and a balk putting a runner on third base with no outs. However, like Vizzoni in the big spot, Hernandez too quickly settled in as he'd retire the next two batters he faced, producing a hard ground out and a strikeout. Unfortunately an infield single with two outs off a good pitch from Hernandez allowed Rutgers-Newark to cut the deficit to 4-2, followed by a hit batter a pitch later, but Hernandez immediately locked back in striking out his second hitter of the inning to escape further trouble.
NJCU was unable to provide further run support in the eighth as the Scarlet Raiders also locked in after the tough fourth inning, retiring the next twelve of thirteen batters they faced to stay close in the game. Hernandez came back out to close things out in the ninth, and on three pitches he made quick work providing two quick outs. Rutgers-Newark attempted to keep the game alive as Hernandez faced a long at bat, but eventually finished things off with the strikeout retiring the Scarlet Raiders in order to seal the 4-2 victory for NJCU.
Highlights:
- Dekis has continued a strong stretch of late at first as he played excellent defensively for NJCU as well now finds himself three for his last five.
- Vizzoni's 7.0 innings of work was a career high, as he finds himself 2-0 on the season with a remarkable 3.18 ERA.
- With his two innings in relief Hernandez tallied his third save of the season, matching his career high total from last season.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights continue NJAC action Friday, April 28, as they travel on the road to Newark, N.J., to face off again against Rutgers-Newark. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., unless weather conditions permit otherwise.
