The New Jersey City University baseball team won a close game on March 24, defeating SUNY Old Westbury 9–8 in extra innings at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. Rookie Daniel Kapsch delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the tenth inning.
This win brings NJCU’s season record to 6-5-1, while Old Westbury drops to 5-4. The victory was marked by strong performances from several NJCU players and a dramatic late-game comeback attempt by their opponents.
Kapsch led the Gothic Knights with four hits, two runs batted in, and two runs scored. Senior Nick Vaughn added three hits, two RBIs, and stole two bases. Brandon Piacenza contributed with two runs, an RBI, a double, and also stole two bases. The team out-hit Old Westbury thirteen to seven and built an early eight-run lead through six innings.
Pitcher Phil Kramer started for NJCU and allowed only one hit over four scoreless innings while striking out six batters. Vaughn pitched two more innings in relief with similar effectiveness. However, Old Westbury rallied in the eighth inning with eight runs on five hits to tie the game at eight apiece.
Freshman Nick Chirelli earned his second win of the season by pitching over two hitless innings with four strikeouts for NJCU. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Brandon Brito doubled to center field before Mike Novak was intentionally walked; Novak eventually scored on Kapsch’s walk-off single.
Chris Gilroy led SUNY Old Westbury with two RBIs while Noah Tannenbaum had two hits and scored twice for his team. Jimmy Stroehlein took the loss after giving up deciding runs late in extra innings.
The Gothic Knights are scheduled to play again on Wednesday against St. Joseph’s-Long Island at Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
