HACKETSTOWN, N.J. - The game between New Jersey City University (NJCU) and Centenary (N.J.) on Thursday, Feb. 27, ended in a dramatic 12-12 tie after the game was called due to darkness. The Gothic Knights (1-0-1) appeared to be in complete control early on, jumping to a 7-0 lead by the end of the first inning. However, the Cyclones (0-3-1) slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the game in the eighth inning.

The Gothic Knights' offensive effort was led by senior Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic), who had an impressive performance, collecting three RBIs, the most he's had since the 2022 season. Moreno went 1-for-4 at the plate, hitting a double and scoring once. Junior Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth) also had a standout day, going 3-for-5 with a triple, one RBI, and two runs scored. In total, eight different players from NJCU tallied at least one RBI.

In the pitching department, senior Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) made the start for NJCU, throwing 5.0 solid innings. Dean struck out four batters while allowing four hits. The bullpen followed suit, with sophomore Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), fifth-year Eriberto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth), senior Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), and freshman Chris Rosario (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) all contributing. Notably, Rosario made his collegiate debut, taking the mound for the final inning.

The game began with NJCU jumping out to a commanding 7-0 lead in the first inning. The scoring started with sophomore Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield), who reached base on a walk, and junior Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth), who singled to put runners on first and second. Graduate student Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) loaded the bases with a single, setting up a series of productive at-bats. Sophomore Jeremy Ricourt's (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) hit sent Piacenza home, and an error by the shortstop allowed Lunar to cross the plate. From there, the Gothic Knights continued to capitalize on the Cyclones' mistakes. Moreno's two-run double pushed Ricourt and sophomore Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) home, giving NJCU a 4-0 lead. Later, sophomore Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) added an RBI single, sending junior Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) home, and a sacrifice fly from Rosario brought Moreno across the plate, making it 6-0. Piacenza's double to left field drove in another run, and the Gothic Knights found themselves with a 7-0 advantage.

Despite the early deficit, Centenary showed resilience. In the bottom of the first, they loaded the bases with a walk and two hit-by-pitches, eventually scoring one run on a fielder's choice to make it 7-1. The Gothic Knights were able to record the second out on the play and escaped the inning with a fly out to right field. The Cyclones managed to place a runner on third with one out in the second inning, but Dean struck out the next two batters to prevent any further damage. As the game progressed, Centenary began to claw back, scoring one more run in the bottom of the third with a walk, two singles and a fielder's choice, eventually making it a 7-3 game. They continued their rally in the fifth inning, scoring once more on a double, passed ball, and sacrifice fly to reduce the deficit to 7-4.

In the top of the sixth, NJCU regained their commanding lead with a series of timely hits. Piacenza walked and scored on a triple by Lunar, who then crossed home plate on a single by Allo. Ricourt reached base on an error, and Allo moved to second, setting up another run. Beltra's single allowed Allo to score, and a sacrifice bunt by Yarson advanced both Ricourt and Beltra into scoring position. Moreno's ground ball to shortstop led to another error, sending both Ricourt and Beltra home, giving NJCU a 12-4 lead.

However, Centenary was far from finished. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cyclones mounted a rally of their own, loading the bases and scoring one run on a fielder's choice. The momentum continued in the seventh, as Centenary scored five runs on four hits and two errors, pulling within two runs at 12-10. The Cyclones then made a final push in the eighth, capitalizing on a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice bunt to move runners into scoring position. NJCU managed to secure the second out, but one run came in. The tying run scored shortly thereafter on a passed ball, bringing the game to a 12-12 deadlock. The game was called due to darkness shortly after.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will return to action on Wednesday, March 5, for their highly anticipated home-opener at Cavens Point. They will face the University of Mount Saint Vincent in a game scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.

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