MAHWAH, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team dropped a twin bill to Ramapo, 20-1 and 8-12, on Saturday, April 5^th at Jeff Maund Field.

GAME ONE
The Gothic Knights faced a challenging defeat against the Ramapo Roadrunners, with the final score standing at 20-1. The Knights were severely outhit, with the Roadrunners recording 23 hits compared to just four for the Gothic Knights. Additionally, Ramapo capitalized on the Gothic Knights' defensive struggles, committing only one error while the Green and Gold made four errors over the course of the game.

Offensively, James Bajana provided the sole bright spot for the Gothic Knights, collecting the only RBI of the game with a triple in his only at-bat. Justin Moreno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Trenton Catholic) also had a solid performance, going 1-for-3 with a double, and scoring the team's lone run in the eighth inning. Enrique Beltra (Monroe, N.J./Ranney) and Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth) each added a hit.
On the mound, starting pitcher Dom Yarson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) (3-2) struggled, allowing 12 runs on 13 hits in just 3.2 innings of work. He also struck out four batters. Relief pitchers Derek Bauernschmidt (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park), Savior Maxell, Joseph Loesner (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus), and Evan Fried combined for six strikeouts.

Ramapo's offensive attack was led by John Higgins, who went 3-for-3, driving in four RBIs and scoring three runs. James Pazdera (4-1), the Roadrunners' starting pitcher, earned the win after tossing 6.0 innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just two hits.

Ramapo got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the first inning on just four hits and one error. Two of those runs were unearned. The Roadrunners extended their lead in the second, adding five runs on four hits, and continued to build their advantage throughout the game. The Gothic Knights faltered in the bottom of the fourth, where a combination of errors allowed Ramapo to score six more runs, increasing their lead to 14-0. The Roadrunners kept their foot on the gas, tacking on three more runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh, bringing the score to 19-0.

In a final attempt, the Gothic Knights managed to score their only run of the game in the eighth inning. After Moreno led off with a double to left-center, Bajana followed with a triple to right-center, driving in Moreno. However, this was little more than a brief moment of hope, as the Roadrunners quickly responded with another run in the bottom of the eighth, making the score 20-1.

GAME TWO
The Gothic Knights faced a tough defeat in game two, losing 12-8 to the Roadrunners. The team was outhit 13-6, and their five errors on defense were far too many compared to Ramapo's single error.

Garrett Allo (Monroe, N.J./East Brunswick Tech) was a standout for NJCU, leading the team with two RBIs and a run scored. He finished the game 2-for-5 with a double and a stolen base. He was one of several players who contributed offensively, including Chris Rosario (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick), Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield), and Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth), each of whom had an RBI and scored a run. Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) also drove in an RBI, while John Abrahamsen (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) and Arian Lunar (Caracas, Venezuela/Elizabeth) each crossed the plate once. Lunar added a double and a stolen base to his performance, with Moreno also showing off his base-running skills with a stolen base of his own.

On the mound, starting pitcher Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) (1-3) endured a rough outing. He lasted just 5.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 10 hits, while striking out four batters. Dean's performance was not aided by the defense behind him, with several errors leading to unearned runs. Danny Olear (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), and Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) were called upon in relief, but they too struggled, surrendering three more runs on three hits.

Ramapo, on the other hand, was able to capitalize on NJCU's defensive miscues and put together a strong offensive showing. Dominick Ciani, Zach Novakowski, and John Higgins each had two RBIs to lead the charge for the Roadrunners. Danbrowney (4-2) earned the win after pitching 6.0 solid innings, striking out nine batters and limiting the Gothic Knights to just two hits. Ryan Lasko sealed the victory with a 1.2-inning save, allowing only one hit and striking out three.
The game started with Ramapo jumping out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on three hits and three errors by the Gothic Knights. Both teams went scoreless in the second and third innings, but the Roadrunners added two more runs in the fourth. They continued to build on their advantage in the sixth, where a combination of four hits and two errors helped them extend their lead to 11-0.

However, NJCU did not give up, rallying in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 11-8. Baeza opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a walk by Rosario. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, and Lunar drew a walk to load the bases. Allo came through with a two-run double to left center, cutting the deficit to 11-2. Abrahamsen walked to reload the bases, and Piacenza followed with another walk to bring in a run. Moreno was hit by a pitch, plating Allo for the fourth Gothic Knight run. With the bases still loaded, Bajana and Baeza each drew walks to score two more runs. Novak and Rosario followed with back-to-back singles, pushing the score to 11-8. Unfortunately, NJCU's rally ended there, as they were unable to complete the comeback. Ramapo added a final run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 12-8, putting the game out of reach.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Tuesday, April 8^th as they head to St. Joesph's Long Island, first pitch at 6:00 p.m.
 
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