JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 9, 2019) – The FDU-Florham baseball team dropped a 4-1 contest to New Jersey City University Tuesday afternoon.
The Devils drop to 10-16 on the season, as NJCU improves to 12-8.
The hosts Gothic Knights scored the first three runs of the game; scoring runs in the first, third and fourth frames. NJCU threatened in the second, but with a runner on first, sophomore
AJ Yurista turned an unassisted double play. Yurista dove into foul territory to make the catch before racing back and stepping on first base to end the inning.
FDU, who only had one hit entering the sixth inning, got on the scoreboard with an unearned run. Sophomore
Matt Nodoro hit a fly ball that was dropped by the Gothic Knight right fielder and hustled into second. Two batters later, Yurista singled through the left side, cutting the gap to 3-1.
Junior
Kevin Smiegocki pinch-hit in the top of the seventh and hit a leadoff double to left field. After moving up a base on a line out, Smiegocki was stranded as a fly out closed out the stanza. The Gothic Knights tacked on an additional run in the seventh, as a sacrifice fly brought the runner in from third base.
The Devils looked to strike in the top of the eighth, putting two of the first three runners on base. Nodoro singled up the middle before sophomore
Nate Peacock walked to put men on first and second with one out. FDU was unable to scratch a run across, as a strikeout and fly out retired the side. Senior
Chris Portelli entered for the Devils in the eighth but walked the first two batters he faced. Portelli escaped the inning without a run, as sophomore catcher
Hakim Hamer fired a strike to third to nab a runner stealing.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, junior
Michael Tufano lined a one-out single to centerfield. With two outs, classmate
Billy Podurgiel beat out an infield hit to put runners on first and second. The Gothic Knights ended the game, as a groundout to shortstop was the final out.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Junior
Arjun Alwis made his first collegiate start, throwing five innings. He allowed five hits and three runs.
• Peacock reached base three times, working two walks while also singling.
• Yurista led the team with eight putouts at first base.
UP NEXT
The Devils are back in action tomorrow afternoon, hosting Purchase College at 3:30 p.m. The game will be played at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex in Teaneck, N.J.