Baseball falls in NJAC opening weekend doubleheader at TCNJ

EWING, NJ — The New Jersey City University baseball team opened its 2022 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) regular season today, Saturday, April 2, against the College of New Jersey. In the doubleheader, the Gothic Knights bats didn’t travel well as NJCU were shut out for the first time this season in both matchups, 4-0 in Game 1 and 7-0 in Game 1. second game, respectively,

However, continuing to show his growth on the mound, freshman Andre Dean (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) threw his first career full game (8.0 innings), allowing just three earned runs, while striking out three batters. In his first four career starts, Dean set a career high for innings pitched in each game (4.1, 4.2, 6.0, 8.0) and lowered his ERA to 3.91 for the season. Offensively, Jersey City (8-11, 0-2 NJAC) was paced by another rookie, designated hitter/catcher Nick Vaughn (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean Township)who led the team with four hits this afternoon.

In Game 1, Jersey City fell behind quickly, as the Lions (9-7, 2-0 NJAC) took a 1-0 lead early in the second. In the next half, Vaughn shook things up with a basic screamer down the middle, but TCNJ held the Gothic Knights in check without allowing the rookie to show up. After tacking in the third and fifth innings, JC found themselves in a 3-0 deficit with just four innings remaining. Need a run, junior third baseman Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, NJ/Trenton Catholic) came to the plate and embarked with a left-hand line-drive. But again, the Lions showed no mercy and blocked Vizzoni on base.

Dean was perfect in his next two innings of work, going 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh, but a TCNJ homer in the eighth gave Jersey City just three outs for four runs. Trying to start the ninth-inning rally, both batters crushed the entire game, as Vizzoni landed his second hit of the day, this time a rocket through the middle. After a fly-out left, Vaughn came to home plate and burned his third of the day, putting two runners with the tying run on deck for Jersey City. Similar to previous rallies, the Lions emerged unscathed, winning the final and claiming a 4-0 win in the NJAC opener.

The story remained the same for the Gothic Knights in Game 2, as the team could only get six hits in the loss. On the mound in the second game of the Verts et Or was the junior right-hander Justin Wiltsey (Hamilton Township, NJ/Hamilton West), which gave the team 4.2 innings, while allowing six runs and striking out five. The Lions again did the damage first, as TCNJ struck a single point in the bottom half of the first. Continuing where he left off, Vaughn collected his fourth hit of the day with a shot down the middle. The receiver was able to make the most of a pass ball, moving into scoring position with one out. But, the team couldn’t finish the job, pinning Vaughn down on base again.

The next inning was when the TCNJ offense woke up, as the Lions burst for three runs to take a 4-0 lead. Wiltsey would go the next two innings scoreless, but a Lion home run knocked the right-hander out of the game and the head coach jerry smith turned to the eldest Paul Tannucilli (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) to control the home team’s attack. The knuckle-baller did just that. Even though JC’s offense never got off the ground, the Old Bridge native kept the Lions in check, going the final 3.1 innings while allowing just one hit, striking out two and not giving up a single point. Show life in the last inning, junior outfielder Bryan Fernandez (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) started the rally at two out by throwing a ball into the opposite field. Junior Companion Jon Taylor (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow) followed a hit with one of his own, giving the Vert et Or two runners with two out. Sadly, it would end there as NJCU was beaten 7-0.

Following:
NJCU will look to avenge their loss as the team hits the road and takes on non-conference foe SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday, April 5 in New Paltz, NY. This is the Hawks’ first meeting since May 1, 2019. , which was won by Jersey City. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.