FREDERICK, MD. – Behind a dominant start from sophomore Phil Kramer (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) and a balanced offensive attack, the New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team defeated Hood College, 8-1, on Sunday afternoon at Frederick Community College.
Kramer (1-0) was in command from the outset, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high 12 batters. Sophomore Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) closed the door over the final two innings, striking out four while surrendering one run on two hits.
NJCU's offense broke through in the third inning. Sophomore Frandi Yunior Mosquea Mesa (Dominican Republic/Maple Mountain UT) ignited the rally with a triple to center field and scored one pitch later on a groundout by junior Evan Hill (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) to give the Gothic Knights a 1-0 lead.
The Knights manufactured two more runs in the fourth. Graduate student Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) worked a one-out walk and moved to second on a single by freshman Daniel Kapsch (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield). After both runners swiped bases to move into scoring position, a throwing error allowed Vaughn to score. Mosquea Mesa followed with an RBI single to left, extending the advantage to 3-0.
NJCU continued to apply pressure in the fifth when redshirt sophomore Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) singled and later scored on a double to left-center by junior Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial), making it 4-0.
The lead grew to 5-0 in the seventh. Gelok again reached with a single, and after Ricourt reached on an error, freshman Dovid Solomon (Alon Shvut, Israel/Yeshiva Torah and Artzeinu) advanced both runners with a groundout. Junior Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Gelok.
The Knights put the game away in the eighth with three more runs. Kapsch drew a walk and advanced to third on a single by sophomore Brendan Baeza, who moved into scoring position on the throw. Freshman Thomas Ingallinera (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) entered as a pinch runner and scored alongside Baeza on Mosquea Mesa's third hit of the day. Mosquea Mesa later came around on consecutive groundouts to push the lead to 8-0.
Hood broke up the shutout in the bottom half of the eighth, but Elam regrouped and struck out the side in the ninth to seal NJCU's first victory of the 2026 season.
Mosquea Mesa led the Knights offensively, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a triple, and a stolen base. Ricourt and Gelok each collected three hits and an RBI, with Gelok scoring twice. Four different Gothic Knights recorded stolen bases in the win.
UP NEXT:
NJCU returns to action in Chambersburg, Pa., where the Gothic Knights will face Wilson College at 2:30 p.m.
For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University Athletics, visit NJCUGothicKnights.com and follow the Gothic Knights on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
