GLASSBORO, N.J. — The New Jersey City University Gothic Knights could not overcome a decisive midgame surge by the Rowan University Profs, falling 22-5 in New Jersey Athletic Conference action Friday afternoon at Rowan Baseball Field.

Despite collecting a season-high 14 hits, NJCU (10-24-1, 2-14 NJAC) was undone by a 10-run fourth inning from Rowan (27-5, 13-3 NJAC) that shifted the contest irreversibly. The Profs finished with 18 hits, including six doubles and a home run, capitalizing on a combination of timely hitting and free passes to pull away.

NJCU showed resilience early after falling behind 4-0 in the first inning. The Gothic Knights chipped away in the second when Matthew Ferber (South Brunswick, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen) doubled down the right field line and later scored on a balk. They then surged in the third, stringing together four two-out hits. Brandon Piacenza (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) and Shawn Kish (Fords, N.J./Woodbridge) each drove in runs, and Travis Evernham (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) delivered a game-tying single to even the score at 4-4.

Momentum continued briefly in NJCU's favor in the fourth inning. Ray Gelok (Clifton, N.J./Passaic Tech) and Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) opened with back-to-back singles before Daniel Kapsch (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Piacenza drew a walk to force in a run, giving the Gothic Knights a 5-4 advantage.

That lead was short-lived. Rowan responded emphatically in the bottom half, sending 16 batters to the plate. The Profs combined six hits, three hit-by-pitches and two walks to produce 10 runs in the inning, turning a one-run deficit into a commanding 14-5 lead.

The offensive barrage continued for Rowan over the next three innings. The Profs added three runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh, highlighted by their lone home run of the afternoon, extending the margin to 22-5.

Evernham led NJCU offensively with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, adding an RBI and a stolen base. The steal helped the Gothic Knights reach 120 stolen bases on the season, matching last year's total for a program record. Ferber, Kapsch and Gelok each recorded two hits, while Ferber contributed a run and an RBI. Piacenza and Kish each drove in a run and scored once.

On the mound, Collin Elam (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) (0-5) took the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits over 3.1 innings. He was followed by Derek Bauernschmidt (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park), Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), Jeffrey Osborne (Spotswood, N.J./Spotswood) and Yannid Narvaez (Cartago, Costa Rica/International Christian Academy), with Vaughn and Osborne each recording a strikeout.

Rowan was paced by Brayden Davis, who went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, and Evan McCoach, who drove in four runs and scored three times. Dane Samartino (1-0) earned the win in relief, striking out two.

The game was called after the top of the eighth inning due to darkness.

UP NEXT:

NJCU will return to action Sunday, April 26, when it travels to face Rutgers-Camden in an NJAC doubleheader.

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