PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team came up short in a high-scoring non-conference battle against St. Joseph's Long Island (SJLI), falling 16-10 on Wednesday, April 23, at Gregg Alfano Field. With this game, the Gothic Knights now hold a 5-8 all-time record against the Golden Eagles and set a new high for total runs in the series, scoring 26 combined runs—surpassing their previous high of 19.

The Gothic Knights struck early, putting four runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) led off with a single to center field, stole second, and advanced to third on a single by Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech). Allo then stole second, setting the stage for Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney), who roped a triple to right-center field to drive in both runners. Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) followed with an RBI single to score Beltra, and after a series of small plays—including a balk—NJCU took a 4-0 lead.

St. Joseph's Long Island responded immediately in the bottom of the first, cutting the deficit to 4-3 with a walk, three singles, and a fielding error. The momentum swung in SJLI's favor in the third inning, when they added three more runs on a walk, hit batter, triple, and double to seize a 6-4 lead. The Golden Eagles continued to pile on in the fourth with four additional runs, capitalizing on three hits and a walk to stretch their lead to 10-4.

Despite falling behind, NJCU rallied in the sixth inning. Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) opened the frame with a single and later scored on a base hit by Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield). Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth), who walked earlier in the inning, came around to score on a wild pitch. After loading the bases, Rosario delivered a clutch two-RBI single to bring the Gothic Knights within two. Jeremy Bajana, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on a single by John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) to trim SJLI's lead to 10-9.

However, the Golden Eagles responded once more in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, followed by a five-run seventh inning fueled by three hits, an error, and two wild pitches. This extended SJLI's lead to 16-9 and put the game out of reach.

In a last-ditch effort in the top of the ninth, NJCU added one final run. Shawn Kish (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) doubled in his only at-bat and advanced to third and home on consecutive wild pitches, making it 16-10. The comeback fell short, though, as the Golden Eagles closed out the game to secure the non-conference victory.

Chris Rosario (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) led NJCU at the plate, recording a season-best performance by going 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Beltra also made a strong impact, driving in two runs and scoring twice while going 1-for-4 with a triple, the fifth of his career. On the mound, Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) (1-5) took the loss, allowing six runs on six hits over 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. He was followed by a series of NJCU relievers—Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), Eriberto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth), Yannid Narvaez (Cartago La Union, Costa Rica/International Christian Academy), Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), Will McChesney (Kearny, N.J./Kearny), Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), and Savior Maxwell (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder)—who combined to allow 10 runs on seven hits while striking out five.

SJLI was led by Dom LaFroscia, who went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and a double. Joe Thatcher turned in a flawless 4-for-4 performance with four RBIs, five runs scored, a triple, and a home run. Marco Gullo also scored three times, despite not having an official at-bat. Luke Gacovino (2-0) earned the win for the Golden Eagles, pitching 2.2 innings in relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out one while facing 11 batters.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action on Thursday, April 24, when they host William Paterson University at 3:30 p.m. at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex in Jersey City.

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