JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University (NJCU) baseball team dropped the opening game of its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) series on Thursday afternoon, falling to Ramapo College, 27-4, at Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
The Gothic Knights fell to 7-16-1 overall and 0-7 in conference play, while the Roadrunners improved to 17-8 overall and 4-3 in the NJAC. Ramapo held a decisive advantage at the plate, outhitting NJCU, 25-7, though the Gothic Knights capitalized on three Ramapo errors while committing just one of their own.
NJCU saw contributions throughout the lineup, with three different players recording RBIs. Frandi Yunior Mosquea Mesa (Dominican Republic/Maple Mountain UT) drove in a run as part of the team's two-run fifth inning, while Kenneth Wines (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) and Dovid Solomon (Alon Shvut, Israel/Yeshiva Torah and Artzeinu) also added RBIs. Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) paced the offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial), Thomas Ingallinera (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack), and Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) each crossed the plate for NJCU, which also totaled three stolen bases in the contest.
Nick Chirelli (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) (3-2) took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs on six hits over 2.0 innings of work. The Gothic Knights utilized a total of seven pitchers in the game, as Yannid Narvaez (Cartago, Costa Rica/International Christian Academy), Jeffrey Osbourne, Derek Bauernschmidt (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park), Brandon Fernandez (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial), Joseph Loesner (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus), and CJ Banos (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) each saw relief appearances.
Ramapo's offense was led by Casey Chiola and Brandon Tauber, who each recorded four RBIs. Chiola finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Tauber went 3-for-7 with two runs scored. Branden Schappert delivered a standout performance, going 5-for-7 with four runs scored and two RBIs. As a team, the Roadrunners totaled three doubles, three home runs, and five stolen bases.
The Roadrunners struck early, plating a run in the top of the first inning before adding four more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. After NJCU was held hitless through the first two innings, Ramapo extended its advantage to double digits with a five-run third inning.
Travis Evernham (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) recorded NJCU's first hit of the game with a two-out single in the bottom of the third. However, Ramapo continued to build its lead, adding a run in the fourth to make it 11-0.
NJCU broke through offensively in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) and Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) each drew walks, Mosquea Mesa delivered an RBI single to score Gelok. Moments later, a stolen base by Mosquea Mesa led Elam, at third, to score and cut the deficit to 11-2.
The Gothic Knights showed signs of momentum, holding Ramapo scoreless in both the fifth and sixth innings. However, the Roadrunners responded with three runs in the seventh and erupted for six runs in the eighth to take a commanding 20-2 lead.
NJCU added a run in the eighth inning as Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) reached on a walk and later scored on a fielding error by Ramapo, with Dovid Solomon (Alon Shvut, Israel/Yeshiva Torah and Artzeinu) credited with the RBI. Ramapo answered with a seven-run ninth inning to extend its lead to 27-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Mike Novak (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) and CJ Banos (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) recorded back-to-back singles to open the frame. With two outs, Thomas Ingallinera (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) and Kenneth Wines (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) each drew walks, allowing Novak to score the Gothic Knights' final run of the game.
UP NEXT:
NJCU will look to bounce back in game two of the series on Friday, April 10, as the Gothic Knights travel to Mahwah, New Jersey. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
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