New Jersey City University Athletics

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JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 25 ranked Neumann University retired the first 14 Gothic Knight batters in order and led 8-0, aided by four New Jersey City University errors before a miraculous seventh inning rally changed the dynamic of the game. NJCU scored eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie as 13 batters came to the plate. But Neumann extended the longest active winning streak in Division III to 11 games by notching two runs in the top of the ninth and held on for a surprisingly suspenseful, 10-8 non-conference win on Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Neumann improved to 13-3 with 10 of its 11 wins during the current streak by a margin of three runs or less, including four consecutive decisions by one or two runs and seven victories overall by two or fewer runs. NJCU (5-5) dropped to 0-2 on the season at home while playing its first game since returning north from its annual spring trip to Florida.

Neumann used eight pitchers in the game and 23 different NU Knights saw action for a squad that also received votes in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 30 poll.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning for both sides, Neumann snapped the 8-8 deadlock in the top of the ninth. Junior center fielder Marty Sessa (Lincoln University, PA) led off with a bloop single over third, advanced to second on a sacrifice and third on a grounder for the second out of the inning.
 
With NJCU needing one out to get out of the inning unharmed, senior right fielder Bobby Callan (Drexel Hill, PA), who did not start the game, dropped down a bunt to the right of the pitcher's mound. Sophomore left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) stumbled coming off the mound trying to field the play, Callan reached safely with an RBI single—just his third hit of the season—and Sessa scored the go-ahead run. Junior Michael Tomeo (Holland, PA) pinch hit with a double to center field, scoring Callan with the 10^th run before rookie righty KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) struck out junior first baseman Tyler Drinkard (Glen Burnie, MD) to end the inning.
 
Junior righty Erik Klimoff (Coatesville, PA) earned his sixth save of the season—the third most in the nation to date—by  recording a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning with three fly ball outs on just eight pitches.
 
NJCU had eight of its ninth hits and all of its offense in that seventh inning rally. Sophomore designated hitter ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) led NJCU with three RBIs, batting 2-for-4 with one run and reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie Hitter of the Week, first-year shortstop MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and his sixth double of the season. Martucci and Roman matched teammate RYAN WINTERS (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) as NJCU players with multiple hits in the same inning this season.
 
Junior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and both freshman center fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and junior first baseman ANGEL MARTE (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Elizabeth) each were 1-for-2 with a run and RBI in a pinch hitting role.
 
Drinkard was the top offensive weapon for Neumann, going 2-for-5 with a three runs, two RBIs, a two-run homer and a double and Sessa batted 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Senior right fielder Derrek Etsell (Philadelphia, PA) was 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Junior designated hitter Joey Armata (Philadelphia, PA) batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
Neumann scored five unearned runs with three in the first and two in the third innings, before adding three markers in the top of the sixth for an 8-0 lead.
 
Junior lefty Matt Spillman (Sewell, NJ) started for Neumann and struck out four batters while pitching a perfect three innings. Junior lefty Russ Gilliam (Brick, NJ), who has 40 strikeouts and only six walks in 29.0 innings of work this year, allowed a lone hit by Rivera in the fifth inning—after the first 14 batters of the game were retired in order. He struck out three in 2.0 innings.
 
Junior righty Mike Dicken (Deptford, NJ) earned the win in relief, improving to 3-0, despite two of the three runners he inherited scoring. He allowed one hit, facing five batters in 1.1 innings of work. Markle took his first loss (1-1), allowing two runs and three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
 
NJCU, which already has one huge rally to its credit this season—a five-run come-from-behind, 10-8 win over Mount Saint Mary College on March 15—one upped that six-run rally when it came to bat in the bottom of the seventh with just one hit in the first six innings of the contest. The final four runs of the inning were unearned.
 
Martucci led off with a single through the left side and advanced to third when junior PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), who entered the game defensively in the sixth, singled down the right field line. Roman singled up the middle to break up the shutout. Rivera came up against a new pitcher and singled to right to score Senyszyn for the second run.
 
Another pitching change brought in junior righty Brendan Melody (Brick, NJ) and the reliever induced a pop out and a strikeout for the first two outs. Marte, who was 0-for-4 on the season, singled to center on the first pitch he saw in a pinch-hitting role for the third run and Wagner, in his first at bat of the game, singled through the left side, beating the opposing third baseman with a scorcher as NJCU cut the deficit in half, 8-4.
 
After the fourth pitcher of the inning came in for Neumann, sophomore catcher MIKE CASIANO (Newark, NJ/North 13^th Street) reached on a fielding error at third base on a hard hit ball to load the bases and extend the inning. NJCU took advantage as Martucci ripped a double to left center to drive in Marte and Wagner. After a walk by Senyszyn loaded the bases, Dicken entered as the fifth pitcher of the inning and Roman belted a 1-0 pitch into left field for a two-run, game-tying double, scoring Casiano and Martucci. The inning finally ended when Rivera flew out to deep left field, stranding two runners in scoring position, but did not miss a homerun by much.
 
Neumann had scored three times in the first inning on three hits, aided by three NJCU errors. Etsell had an RBI single to knock in the first run. Rivera made a diving, shoe-string catch in left field—his third diving catch in two games—to rob Neumann of a run. But after back-to-back errors occurred during Drinkard's first at bat of the game—a dropped foul ball that extended the at bat, and a throwing error at shortstop—Armata had a two-run double to left center to make it 3-0.
 
In the third inning, Etsell lined a ball to right field, which was dropped for an error and again extended the inning. Neumann took advantage when Drinkard unleashed the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a two-run homer, his first round-tripper of the season, and a 5-0 lead. The Knights added three runs in the sixth—all earned as NU collected five consecutive hits, including three doubles. A two-run, two-out single by Sessa made it an 8-0 lead before NJCU's seventh-inning rally led to the dramatic finish.
 
Senior righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) received a no-decision in his third start of the season. He allowed just three earned runs (eight total) on 10 hits, struck out three and walked none over 83 pitches in 6.0 innings. Sophomore RYAN MITCHELL (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) faced five batters in one inning of work, with one strikeout and two walks, but no runs or hits allowed.
 
NJCU is back on the field on Thursday, March 22 at 3:30 p.m. when it faces St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) in a non-conference home game at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. It's the second game of a six-game homestand.