ALLENTOWN, PA. - The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from Muhlenberg College, 11–8 and 14–10, on Saturday afternoon at Bicentennial Park. The Gothic Knights improved to 5-5-1 on the season with the sweep, overcoming a hit deficit in the opener and capitalizing on a combined 10 Muhlenberg errors across both games.

In the first game, NJCU secured an 11–8 victory despite being outhit, taking full advantage of five defensive miscues by the Mules while playing error-free baseball themselves. Graduate student Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) powered the offense, finishing 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. After NJCU jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the top of the first on Vaughn's homer, Muhlenberg answered with four runs in the second and held the Gothic Knights without a hit until the sixth inning. NJCU broke through in that frame to even the score before taking a 5–4 lead.

The Mules tied the game at five in the seventh, but NJCU responded with its most decisive stretch in the eighth inning. With runners in motion throughout the inning, the Gothic Knights strung together key singles and took advantage of multiple errors to plate four runs and seize a 9–5 advantage. NJCU added two more runs in the ninth, highlighted by Collin Elam's (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) double and Vaughn's RBI single, extending the lead to 11–5. Muhlenberg mounted a late push with three runs in the bottom of the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate, but NJCU held on to secure the victory.

On the mound in game one, Andre Dean (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) provided a steady start, tossing six innings while allowing five runs and striking out four. Nick Chirelli (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) earned the win in relief, improving to 2-0 on the season after working 2.2 innings, while Derek Bauernschmidt (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) recorded the final out to earn his first career save. Offensively, NJCU's aggressiveness stood out, as the Gothic Knights totaled nine stolen bases in the game.

In the second game, NJCU continued its offensive momentum in a 14–10 win, this time outhitting Muhlenberg 11–10 while again capitalizing on five errors. Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) led the charge, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored, while Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) also drove in three runs. Frandi Yunior Mosquea Mesa (Dominican Republic/Maple Mountain UT) added a strong performance at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored as the Gothic Knights once again applied constant pressure offensively with six stolen bases.

NJCU took an early 3–0 lead through the first two innings, using a sacrifice fly from Vaughn and an RBI single by Shawn Kish (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) to set the tone. Muhlenberg responded with a six-run second inning to take a 6–3 lead, but NJCU answered back in the middle innings. After trimming the deficit, Piacenza delivered a key swing in the fourth inning, launching a two-run home run to tie the game at six and shift momentum back in NJCU's favor.

The Mules briefly regained control with three runs in the sixth to go ahead 9–6, but NJCU strung together hits and capitalized on defensive miscues to score multiple runs, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Gelok and a go-ahead RBI single from Mosquea Mesa. Aggressive baserunning and additional errors helped NJCU extend the lead to 13–9, putting the game out of reach.

Muhlenberg added a run in the bottom of the seventh, but NJCU answered with an insurance run in the ninth as Evernham worked a walk, advanced on a stolen base and an error, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Elam. The Gothic Knights' bullpen handled the remainder, with six pitchers combining to secure the win. Jeffrey Osbourne earned the victory after delivering two strong innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out two.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will look to build on the momentum from the sweep when they return to action on Tuesday, March 24, hosting Old Westbury in a non-conference matchup scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

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