JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team concluded its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) schedule on Sunday, April 27, falling in both games of a doubleheader against nationally-ranked No. 17 Rowan University at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Gothic Knights dropped game one in a 14-0 shutout and came up short in a hard-fought 7-4 contest in game two.

GAME ONE
Rowan (28-8, 13-4 NJAC) controlled the opener from start to finish, outhitting NJCU (12-24-1, 3-14 NJAC) 13-4 and capitalizing on five Gothic Knight errors. The Profs broke the game open in the fifth inning and never looked back, while NJCU struggled to find consistency on both sides of the ball.

Mike Shannon (6-2) earned the win for Rowan with a dominant performance on the mound, tossing 8.0 scoreless innings. He allowed only three hits, issued two walks, and struck out eight batters. NJCU starter Dom LaPelosa (Edison, N.J./Edison) (0-4) went 5.0 innings, allowing seven runs—only one of which was earned—on eight hits, with three walks and two strikeouts. The Gothic Knights' bullpen, consisting of Yannid Narvaez (Cartago La Union, Costa Rica/International Christian Academy), Will McChesney (Kearny, N.J./Kearny), and Savior Maxwell (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder), combined for four innings, five earned runs, and one strikeout.

Offensively, Rowan's Jason Morgan led the way, finishing 3-for-6 with four RBI, one run, and two doubles. Joey Bogart contributed a 3-for-4 performance with a triple, three RBI, and a run scored. Four different Profs scored at least twice, while Nick Struble worked three walks to pace the team's plate discipline.

NJCU managed just four hits in the game. Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) each went 1-for-3, James Bajana went 1-for-2, and Brenden Baeza (Garfield, N.J./Garfield) recorded a hit in his only at-bat. Beltra notched NJCU's only extra-base hit with a double.

After four scoreless innings, the Profs exploded in the fifth with eight runs on five hits and three NJCU errors—seven of those runs were unearned. Rowan tacked on another in the sixth with a bunted single followed by a double to right field. Two more runs came across in the seventh via a single to the right side, and the scoring continued in the eighth with a triple after a walk. The final blow came in the ninth with another run scoring on a hit and an error, sealing the 14-0 win for the visitors.

GAME TWO
Game two was far more competitive, as NJCU jumped out to a brief lead before Rowan rallied late to complete the doubleheader sweep with a 7-4 victory.

Rowan again had the edge in hits (12-6), but this time NJCU limited its defensive miscues, committing just one error. The Profs stranded 11 runners on base, while NJCU left five aboard. Both teams drew four walks, and the Gothic Knights added a stolen base and a triple to their stat line.

Steven Maiers (5-1) earned the win for Rowan, delivering 6.0 strong innings while allowing just one hit, two walks, and striking out five. Mark Grubb closed out the game in the final inning to earn the save. For NJCU, freshman Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) (0-3) made his first collegiate start. He pitched 4.2 innings, surrendering six earned runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) led the Gothic Knights at the plate, going 2-for-4.

NJCU fell behind early after Rowan scored two runs in the top of the second inning—a sacrifice fly brought home the first run, and a single through the right side added another. The Gothic Knights quickly responded in the bottom half. Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) singled and then stole second base. After a walk to Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) tripled to left-center, scoring both runners and tying the game at 2-2. Abrahamsen then scored on a single by Shawn Kish (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge), who later came around on an RBI single to right-center by Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth), giving NJCU a 4-2 lead.

Rowan chipped away in the top of the fourth, narrowing the deficit to 4-3 with a double followed by two singles. Elam and the defense escaped further damage with a timely double play and a strikeout to end the inning. However, Rowan retook the lead in the fifth after loading the bases on two hits and a walk, followed by a hit-by-pitch and another walk to make it 5-4. A single extended the lead to 7-4.

Relievers Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and Eriberto Reyes (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) combined for 4.1 innings out of the bullpen. Dean allowed one run on three hits and a walk, while Reyes closed the game with 1.2 innings of one-hit, shutout ball and two strikeouts.

The Gothic Knights were held hitless from the fourth through the seventh inning until Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) singled in the eighth. NJCU threatened but left two runners stranded. Rowan then shut the door in the ninth, retiring the side in order to seal the win and sweep the series.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action tomorrow, Monday, April 28, for their final home game of the 2025 season. They will host St. Elizabeth University at 3:30 p.m. at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

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