PURCHASE, N.Y. — The New Jersey City University baseball team traveled north to play a non-traditional doubleheader, first vs. Manhattanville, then Purchase, at Purchase College Baseball Field on Monday, April 15. The Gothic Knights led early against the Valiants before losing in extras 8-7, but won in convincing fashion against the Panthers in game 2, 19-5.

Game 1: Manhattanville 8, NJCU 7 (10 innings)
As mentioned, the Gothic Knights (10-17) offense was alive and well, striking first against Manhattanville (12-14) in the top of the first. Senior third baseman Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) singled up the middle, scoring freshman outfielder Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial). Then, freshman catcher Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) brought home fellow rookie Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) with a single into center field, giving NJCU an early 2-0 lead. Senior left hander D.J. Dekis (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) got the start for the Green and Gold on the mound for the first time this season, and the knuckleballer sent the Valiants down in order in the bottom of the first. Manhattanville got a run back the following inning, cutting into the NJCU lead. Ricourt placed a single into right center in the third, and Piacenza also singled to put runners at the corners. Piacenza was caught stealing second, but Allo walked to put runners back at first and third. A double steal was successful for the Gothic Knights, scoring Ricourt and moving Allo into scoring position. Beltra then scored Allo with a base hit, putting NJCU back up 4-1. In the following inning, sophomore designated hitter Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) reached on a throwing error and ended up on second to lead off. Freshman second baseman Justin Rodriguez (Metuchen, N.J./JFK Memorial), picked up his first career RBI by notching a base hit to score Yarson and bring the lead up to 5-1. The Valiants half of the fourth was rough for the Gothic Knights, as they plated six runs in the inning and took the lead 7-5. The squads then traded scoreless innings until the top of the eighth, where Beltra and Yarson both reached on singles to get runners on first and second with no outs. A successful sacrifice bunt by sophomore shortstop Arian Lunar (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) moved both runners over, then senior right fielder John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) worked a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Beltra, and freshman left fielder Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) hit a sac fly to score Yarson and tie the game. Freshman righty Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) entered for fellow rookie Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), who earlier replaced Dekis, and pitched a scoreless inning and two-thirds to force extras. However, in the bottom of the tenth, after a leadoff double, a wild pitch put the winning run just 90 feet away, and a walk-off base hit to left ended game 1 with a score of 8-7.

Game 2: NJCU 19, Purchase 5
After a tough loss to Manhattanville, the Gothic Knights reset and got ready to bounce back in game 2, now against Purchase College (12-15). Ricourt and Piacenza continued their hot hitting at the top of the order, and led off with back-to-back hits to start the game. Piacenza's double score Ricourt, and two wild pitches also scored Piacenza. A few batters later, with Yarson on first, and Beltra on second, Fernandez, who got the game 2 start in center, singled to drive in Beltra. Fernandez then stole second, and a throwing error by the Panthers catcher got away and Yarson was able to come home. The Gothic Knights weren't done yet, as senior catcher Ricky Tuero (West New York, N.J./Memorial) hit and RBI single to score Fernandez and cap off a five-run first inning. Purchase was able to cut into the lead in the home half, scoring three back. The scoring calmed down for both teams over the next few innings, as fifth year right hander Ronnie Wallraff (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) bounced back after the three-run first. Through four innings, Wallraff amassed five strikeouts, protecting the Gothic Knights' lead. Tons of run support came through in the top of the fifth, as Jersey City poured on seven in the inning. Beltra roped a one-out ground-rule double to left, stole third, and scored after the ball was thrown away. Later, with the bases loaded, a wild pitched scored Abrahamsen. Tuero walked to load the bases again, and Lunar was plunked, scoring another. Ricourt and Piacenza both singled to left, bringing across another three for the squad. Beltra capped off the top of the fifth with a double to left, scoring Ricourt and running up the score to 12-3. In that half inning, NJCU sent up a total of 12 batters and forced two Purchase pitching changes. Lunar picked up an RBI single in the top of the sixth, and Purchase plated one in the bottom half. The third multi-run inning came in the seventh, when Beltra, Yarson, and Fernandez had RBI base knocks back-to-back-to-back. After the Panthers scored a run in the bottom of the eighth, Jersey City added another three runs in the top of the ninth. After a double from junior pinch hitter Jeff Castillo (Rahway, N.J./Rahway), Fernandez did the same to score Castillo. Senior third baseman Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) brought the Gothic Knights final two runs across in style, homering for the third time this season. Purchase went down in order after a leadoff double, ending game 2.

Highlights:
- As a team, the Gothic Knights hit .409 against Purchase (18-for-44)
- Beltra went 7-for-9 in the doubleheader, including three doubles, four RBIs, and four runs scored.
- Ricourt went 4-for-10 overall and scored four runs.
- Castillo recorded his first career hit.
- Wallraff went six innings against the Panthers, giving up just two earned, striking out six, and walking just one.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights are off until Thursday afternoon, April 18th, where they'll return to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action. It'll be the first of a home-and-home, Thursday's game being at Montclair. First pitch against the Red Hawks is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.