JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University baseball team finally took the field at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex for this first time this season on Saturday, March 30, as the Gothic Knights opened up New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play at home with a doubleheader against Rutgers-Camden. NJCU mounted a later comeback in game one, but fell 5-4, to the Scarlet Raptors. The visitors then took game two, 7-3.

Game 1: Rutgers-Camden 5, NJCU 4
The Gothic Knights (5-10, 0-2 NJAC) got things started against Camden (15-5, 2-0 NJAC) in the home half of game one's first inning after junior righthander Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) tossed a scoreless 1-2-3 top half. Senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) started with a two-out double and then crossed the plate next at-bat thanks to a RBI single from freshman first baseman Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney).

The Scarlet Raptors scored a couple in the top of the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth to go up 5-1. NJCU was not discouraged and answered in the bottom of the fifth with a couple to make it 5-3. Sophomore designated hitter Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) led off with a single to left, followed by another base hit for Allo. Beltra then loaded the bases with a single of his own. Fifth year leftfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) hit the Gothic Knights' fourth single in a row, this time plating a pair, to make it a two-run ball game.

Allo factored in once more in the bottom of the eighth, leading off with a double to the gap in left and getting over to third via a wild pitch. He did have to wait there as NJCU eventually loaded the bases with two outs. Rookie first baseman Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) was then hit by a pitch to force in a run to make it 5-4. The Green and Gold could not muster any further offense as Rutgers took game one.

Game 2: Rutgers-Camden 7, NJCU 3
The Gothic Knights got ahead early on in this one, as well, as Allo smacked another double with two outs. He later scored on a RBI single from Fernandez to make it 1-0. The game remained that way until the Scarlet Raptors got one in the top of the fourth via a single to make it 1-1. The visitors put up three more in the top of the fifth and a couple in the top of the sixth before closing out their offense for the day with one run in the top of the seventh.

Rookie leftfielder Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) recorded the first hit of his collegiate career in his only official at-bat of the season — he's draw two walks and a hit-by-pitch this season — he sent one over the fence in right to plate a pair, making it 7-3. However, Rutgers sent down the next two batters for NJCU to finish up play for the day.

Highlights:
- Allo was dominant at the plate, going 5-for-8 with four runs, three doubles, a walk and two stolen bases over the two games.
- Piacenza was 2-for-5 with a RBI and a hit-by-pitch. Beltra was 2-for-6 with a RBi and two walks.
- Fernandez had three RBI and a walk, going 2-for-7.
- Dean finished with 7.0 innings in game one, allowing four earned to go with a couple of strikeouts. Yarson tossed 7.0 in game two, allowing seven earned with two strikeouts.
- Senior righthander Ali Pompey (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) tossed 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings in relief in game one and rookie righthander Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) did the same in game two, allowing three hits and no runs.

Up Next:
NJCU, with weather always playing a factor, is scheduled to return to action back at the Gerrity on Tuesday afternoon, April 2, for a non-conference game against Purchase College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.