New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | All nine batters in the New Jersey City University lineup scored and the Gothic Knights receive 3.1 sparkling innings of relief from rookie righty NICK DEMARCO (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) and senior lefty PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) as NJCU upended defending Landmark Conference champion Drew University, 12-7, in non-conference baseball action on April 1 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
NJCU (10-8) wins its 10^th game of the season, capitalizing on six Drew (6-12) errors, while outhitting the Rangers, 11-10.
 
NJCU trailed 4-0 before scoring four runs to gain a 6-4 margin. After Drew, losers of nine of its last 10 games, scored three in the sixth to gain a 7-6 margin, NJCU tied it in the sixth before plating five go-ahead runs in the seventh. Only seven of NJCU's 12 runs were earned.
 
Senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison) knocked in three RBIs, batting 2-for-4 with one run in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, while sophomore right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), freshly inserted in the No. 2 slot in the order, scored twice and was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Wagner extended his on-base streak to 12 games.
 
Freshman designated hitter ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) and sophomore shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) each went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI and Niech tallied his seventh double of the season.
 
Junior catcher MIKE CASIANO (Newark, NJ/North 13^th Street) scored twice, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and junior second baseman ROB ROMAN (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) added a pair of runs.
 
For the second time in a week, DeMarco was the winning pitcher in relief of junior left-hander ZACK MARKLE (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken).  DeMarco improved to 2-0, throwing 1.1 brilliant innings of relief. He faced six batters over 17 pitches and did not allow a hit and just two base runners (one hit batter, one NJCU error).
 
Since enduring a pair of shaky appearances against Eastern Mennonite (February 17) and Eastern Connecticut State (March 2), DeMarco has been one of NJCU's most consistent pitchers in the last month. DeMarco has pitched in seven games since then, including four games in a row, and in 7.0 innings has a perfect 0.00 ERA with just one unearned run and two singles, with four strikeouts and one walk.
 
Garcia has been equally as impressive. The New Jersey Athletic Conference leader in opposing batting average, now at .070, he dipped his seasonal ERA to 1.59 by throwing two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth to seal it. Over 28 pitches he did not allow a hit, walking two batters.
 
Markle started, allowing four unearned runs (seven total) against 10 hits in 5.2 innings. Over 90 pitches he fanned three and walked one.
 
Sophomore righty Matthew Hunter (Forrest Hills, NY) suffered the loss (0-2). The second pitcher used by Drew, he allowing six runs, but just two earned, against five hits in 3.1 innings with a walk and strikeout.
 
Freshman righty Bobby Miskura (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) started but took a no-decision. In 3.1 innings, he allowed five earned runs (six total) and five hits while walking a pair. Freshman righty Nate Brown (Needham, MA) threw the final inning and a third, allowing one hit.
 
Freshman second baseman Anthony Feltre (South Brunswick, NJ/Metuchen) was the most productive player offensively for the Rangers, batting 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Christopher Roll (Linden, NJ/Union County Vo-Tech)), who came into the game in a reserve role, was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Junior left fielder Dominic Reyes (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) scored twice for the guests.
 
Drew jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 10 batters came to the plate in the second inning. The Rangers collected five hits in the inning, aided by a pair of Gothic Knight errors, and the final three runs of the frame were unearned. After a leadoff single, Drew used small ball, including a pair of bunts—a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a throwing error and an RBI bunt single by senior center fielder Neil Cashes (Little Silver, NJ/Red Bank Regional), who left the game with an injury after beating the throw to first—to manufacture the first run of the game. A force at the plate gave NJCU two outs but kept the bases full and Roll slipped a single through the right side of the inning for a 2-0 lead. After a fielding error at second base extended the inning and allowed the third run to cross, an RBI single by junior designated hitter Mark Alessio (Nutley, NJ/Paramus Catholic) made it 4-0.
 
The Knights tied it with four runs in the seventh inning on just two hits. Casiano walked, D'Errico laid down a bunt single to third and senior center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) reached on a fielder's choice as the Drew catcher fielded a bunt, looked to third, had no throw, and could not record the out at first as Patterson sprinted down the line. A bases-loaded five-pitch walk to Wagner pushed home the first run and Rivera slipped a two-run single through the right side of the infield and past a diving Drew first baseman to cut the deficit to 4-3 with no outs. Wagner came home from third with the tying run when NJCU hit into a double play.
 
The Knights added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to claim a 6-4 advantage. With one out, Roman singled and Casiano reached when the first baseman dropped a throw from third. An RBI single up the middle by D'Errico supplied the go-ahead run before a sacrifice fly by Patterson plated Casiano with an unearned tally.
 
Drew rallied to score three runs on three hits in the sixth inning when NJCU committed two errors that ultimately did not impact the scoring, to gain a 7-6 lead. After a leadoff single, the next two Rangers were retired—on a sacrifice and strikeout—before Reyes walked. Roll had an infield single to the mound to load the bases. Markle threw high and into center field on a pickoff attempt at second, allowing a run to score and cutting the lead to one. A two-run double to left center by Feltre plated the tying and go-ahead runs in Reyes and Roll and Drew led 7-6.
 
NJCU tied it in the bottom of the inning as sophomore first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) led off with a walk, stole second and scored all the way from second base when a pickoff attempt by Hunter sailed into centerfield.
 
With one out in the seventh, NJCU began to mount its five-run decisive inning as nine Gothic Knights batted. With one out, Wagner doubled to center—a bloop double that fell between three fielders—and an RBI single to center by Rivera knocked in the eventual winning run. Sophomore third baseman MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) followed with a line-drive single and Niech provided the third consecutive single and fourth straight hit to knock in Rivera for a 9-7 edge.
 
With runners on the corners, Niech and Martucci tried to execute a double steal. Niech swiped second and when Feltre turned his attention to third base, dropped the throw from his catcher, and Martucci raced home on the error. The final three runs in the inning were unearned as Drew committed three errors in the inning. Roman reached with two outs when a perfect throw to first by Roll that would have ended the inning was dropped. NJCU capitalized; Casiano had a two-out single down the left field line to knock in Niech with the 11^th run and when an errant relay throw to second attempting to nail Casiano stretching out the single sailed into right field, Roman came home with the 12^th run. Garcia sealed the win with his mound work in the final two innings.
 
NJCU will play its second of three straight home games on Tuesday, April 2 at 3:30 p.m. when it hosts FDU-Florham.

Monday, April 1, 2013 | Jersey City, NJ
Drew University (6-12)	0	4	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	7	10	6
New Jersey City University (10-8)	0	0	4	2	0	1	5	0	X	12	11	4
WP: NICK DEMARCO (2-0). LP: Matthew Hunter (0-2).