Home runs, flashing of the glove, career firsts and a record nearly broken: NYU baseball's seniors shined on Senior Night, leading the Violets to a 9-8 walk-off victory over St. Joseph's University Brooklyn on Wednesday at Maimonides Park in their final home game of 2022.
Seniors
Zane Baker,
Grant Berman,
Christopher Cheadle,
Alex Cochrane,
John Gassler,
PJ Mahoney and graduate student
Jacob Singer were honored in a ceremony prior to first pitch.
Gassler, typically a relief pitcher and regularly used as the team's closer, got the start on the mound and did not disappoint. He tossed a career-high 7.0 innings and allowed just an unearned run on three hits and two walks. Most impressively, the lefthander nearly tied the program's single-game strikeout record, fanning 11 in the best outing of his career.
Gassler's 11 strikeouts are now tied with Gabriel Golob for the second most in a game ever. Golob also holds the top spot with 12; both of those historic performances came in the abbreviated 2020 season.
Behind him, Cochrane made his mark on Senior Night with a running, over-the-shoulder catch in right field for the first out of the third inning.
Berman was on a tear at the plate tonight, finishing a triple shy of the cycle while his seventh home run of the year put him one shy of tying the single-season program record.
Mahoney got in on the action as well, notching the first triple of his career with a hard hit ball down the right field line in the sixth.
Berman opened the scoring with a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the first. The 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the third when Berman ripped an RBI double down the left field line to spark a four-run frame.
Ryan Carr drove in a run with a base hit and a St. Joseph's miscue in left resulted in two more scores for NYU.
The Bears got on the board in the fourth when Michael Gardener recorded an RBI double.
Nate Pallotta answered with an inside-the-park home run on a deep ball to right center in the sixth, the first four-bagger of his career.
Nick Argenziano continued NYU's stellar night at the plate with a solo blast over the left field wall in the seventh as the Violets seemed to be in complete control with a 7-1 lead entering the eighth.
Things got interesting in the top half, however, as the first four Bears to bat in the inning were either hit by a pitch or walked with a run scoring via base-on-balls. Then, a two-run double and tally on a wild pitch brought St. Joseph's within two (7-5). Next up was Louis Lombardi who delivered what was almost the swing of the night, crushing a three-run homer to left center for an 8-7 visitor lead.
NYU proceeded to strand a runner on base in a scoreless bottom of the eighth as the Violets went from cruise control to playing from behind.
The momentum swing provided an exciting finish to Senior Night though, as
Cam Dunn walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth with NYU still down one. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, then Carr reached via error after attempting to bunt Dunn over to third who got there safely.
Pallotta then came through with a sacrifice fly to drive in Dunn and tie the game. The next batter, Baker, was intentionally walked to set up a potential double play. St. Joseph's got what it was looking for with a ground ball, but it was hit too softly to turn two and both runners advanced into scoring position with two outs.
Connor Roggero stepped in to pinch hit with the game on the line and responded with his second walk-off at-bat of the year, hitting a ground ball that was botched by the shortstop and allowed the winning run to cross the plate.
The Violets improved to 19-13 on the season with the victory while St. Joseph's concluded the year with a 9-28 mark. NYU's seniors will have a couple more chances to suit up in the violet and white, however, with a pair of road doubleheaders still on the schedule.
First up are two games at Gwynedd Mercy University on Saturday, May 7, in Gwynedd Valley, PA. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon.
