JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team suffered a tough doubleheader loss to non-conference opponent Manhattanville on Saturday, March 15, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Gothic Knights fell short in both games, losing 4-3 in the first contest and 9-6 in the second.

GAME ONE:
In the opening game, NJCU (6-2-1) was led by senior Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic), who delivered a crucial two-RBI performance, hitting a homerun to put his team ahead early. Freshman Shawn Kish (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) also drove in an RBI, while sophomore Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) crossed the plate twice and added a double. Additionally, junior Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth) contributed a double, and freshman Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) added a triple to the offensive effort. Beltra and junior Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) each swiped a stolen base. On the mound, junior right-hander Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) threw a complete game for the Gothic Knights. Despite allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out nine batters, Yarson was ultimately tagged with the loss after a dramatic ninth inning.

Manhattanville (6-3) was able to secure the win thanks to timely hitting, as four players recorded RBIs. Notable performances came from Tashik and McDonald, both of whom hit doubles, and Ray White, who picked up the win on the mound. White pitched 6.0 innings, allowing three runs and five hits while striking out five batters. Krom relieved White, throwing two innings of one-hit ball, and Esposito closed the game with a scoreless inning, striking out one batter.

The Gothic Knights jumped out to an early lead in the second inning. Beltra led off with a double to left field, and with two outs, Moreno belted a two-run homer to left, giving NJCU a 2-0 lead. The team extended its advantage to 3-0 in the fourth. Beltra drew a walk, stole second, and scored on Kish's RBI single to right field.

However, Manhattanville came alive late. In the eighth, the Valiants strung together three singles, cutting the deficit to 3-1. In the top of the ninth, Manhattanville quickly capitalized on two singles and a pair of doubles to take a 4-3 lead. Despite a final strikeout by Yarson, the Valiants held firm in the field, securing the win.

GAME TWO:
Game two saw another strong offensive performance from Moreno, who belted his second homer of the day for two RBIs. The Gothic Knights also received contributions from fifth-year Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech), Beltra, Yarson, and Novak, all of whom collected an RBI. Lunar and Piacenza went 2-for-5, with Lunar also crossing the plate once. Allo added a stolen base to his stat line. On the mound, senior Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) started for NJCU but was tagged with the loss after 3.0 innings of work, allowing six runs on seven hits. Sophomore Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) relieved Dean, pitching 0.1 innings and allowing two runs. Freshman Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) closed the game for NJCU, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four batters.

Manhattanville's offense was prolific, as three players—Gillison, Goohs, and Astrologo—each contributed two RBIs. Goohs had a standout performance, going 3-for-5 with two homers and two RBIs. Gillison added a double, and Brezosky also recorded a two-bagger. Ryan McCann earned the win for the Valiants, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out four. Tumbleson came on for the save, throwing the final 4.0 innings and striking out four batters while allowing two hits.

Manhattanville seized the lead early with a first-pitch homerun in the second inning, giving them a 1-0 advantage. They extended their lead to 3-0 in the third, thanks to a single, a double, a groundout, and a balk.

The Gothic Knights responded in the bottom of the third. Freshman Chris Rosario (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) led off with a single to center field and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. He then scored on Novak's single to left field. Piacenza followed with a left-field single, and Lunar laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line to load the bases. With one out, Allo delivered a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Valiants, however, responded with a powerful offensive performance in the fourth and fifth innings. After a pitching change to Olear, Manhattanville scored two quick runs in the fourth off a single and two doubles, and extended their lead to 6-2 in the fifth with more timely hitting. The Valiants weren't done yet, as they tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning, increasing their lead to 8-2.

NJCU wasn't ready to give up, though. In the bottom of the fifth, Lunar singled up the middle and Allo was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. Beltra then singled through the left side, scoring Lunar, while Allo advanced to second. Allo later stole third, and while Beltra was caught stealing, Yarson kept the pressure on with a single that scored Allo, cutting the deficit to 8-4. Moreno followed with a two-run homer to bring the score to 8-6, but the Gothic Knights were unable to complete the comeback.

In the top of the ninth, Goohs added his second homerun of the game, making it 9-6. NJCU mounted a last-ditch rally in the bottom half, with pinch hitter John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) singling up the middle. Freshman Evan Freid (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfied) pin ran for Abrahamsen and moved to second on a single by Piacenza. With runners on the corners and one out, Lunar reached on a fielder's choice, pushing the runner on third. However, Manhattanville sealed the win with a strikeout to close out the game.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will look to bounce back on Tuesday, March 18, when they host Baruch at 3:30 p.m. at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
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