READING, Pa. — On a windy day in Pennsylvania, the New Jersey City University baseball squad scored double-digit runs for the second consecutive day two make it two victories in a row as the Gothic Knights defeated Alvernia University on the road on Wednesday afternoon, March 20, 13-9. NJCU collected 18 hits on the day as the Green and Gold dispatched the Golden Wolves for the first time in the series' all-time history, which dates back to 2009.

The Gothic Knights (4-6) wasted no time and jumped all over Alvernia (8-8) with a six-run first inning. NJCU starting things off with a bloop and a blast as rookie rightfielder Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) led the game off with a single, followed by a two-run shot from freshman first baseman Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) — the first of his collegiate career. Senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) wanted to keep things rolling, so hit a solo shot over the centerfield fence to make it 3-0 in the next at-bat — it was his first homer of the season and fourth in a Gothic Knight uniform. The double machine, sophomore pitcher Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) was next and he knocked a two-bagger to the gap in left — he entered the week fifth in all of Division III in doubles per game and second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

Freshman centerfielder Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) continued the rally, still with no outs, by dropping down a bunt to third and beating out the throw, allowing Yarson to reach third as well. Three at-bats later, now with two outs, senior second baseman Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) displayed his speed with a two-run triple to make it 5-0, plating Yarson from third, as well as junior catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), who reached via a walk earlier — Moreno has five triples over his 105-game career now. A throwing error in the next at-bat allowed Moreno to score from third, making it 6-0.

Yarson kept the Golden Wolves off the board the next two innings before his squad made it a 10-0 game in the top of the third. Gelok led off with an infield single and then got to second on a wild pitch. Another throwing error in the next at-bat allowed Gelok to score. Fifth-year leftfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial), who reached on the error, moved over to third on a flyout and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-0. Moreno walked next and a wild pitch got him to second. With two outs, Ricourt hit a run-scoring single up the middle to make it 9-0. Beltra closed out the offense with a RBI single next.

Alvernia finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a couple of two-run homers, making it 10-4. After a scoreless fifth, the Golden Wolves hit another two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth, making it 10-6. Yarson, who picked up his first win of the season, saw his time on the mound come to a close after the inning, with a final line of 6.0 IP, six strikeouts and six earned on 10 hits. The Gothic Knights got two of those runs back in the next half inning as Gelok led off with another walk. Fernandez promptly brought him home with a run-scoring double to the gap in left. After a pitching chance and a couple of outs, Moreno single, followed by the same from sophomore shortstop Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) to put two runners on. Ricourt made it 12-6 with a one-run single to center, plating Moreno.

The Golden Wolves threatened again in the bottom of the seventh. After Alvernia loaded the bases with no outs, NJCU made another pitching change and fifth-year righthander Berto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) came in and promptly sent down three in a row to work out of the jam and maintain the six-run lead. Fernandesz got another one-run, two-out double in the top of the eighth, plating Gelok who reached earlier with a walk and got to second on a steal, to make it 13-6, closing out the offense for NJCU on the day. The Golden Wolves did get to Reyes for three runs in the bottom of the eighth, but he eventually worked out of that, as well. He pitched a scoreless ninth to record the first save of his NCAA career, finishing with 3.0 innings on the mound, five strikeouts and three earned on three hits.

Highlights:
- Ricourt finished 3-for-6 with two RBI and two runs.
- Beltra was also 3-for-6 with three RBI, a home run, a stolen base and a run scored.
- Allo was 2-for-5 with a triple, home run, walk, RBI and a run scored.
- Gelok was 2-for-3 with three runs, two walks and a stolen base.
- Fernandez finished 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run.
- Moreno went 2-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, a walk and a triple.
- Lunar had a 3-for-5 day at the plate, adding a RBI.

Up Next:
Weather permitting, the Gothic Knights are slated to square off with Muhlenberg College on the road on Saturday, March 23, for a doubleheader in Allentown, Pa., with game one beginning at 11:30 a.m.