New Jersey City University Athletics

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MAHWAH, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University is making a habit out of beating nationally ranked baseball teams. Rookie right-hander TOMMY TRELA (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) threw the first five and one-third innings before freshman righty NICK DEMARCO (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) and sophomore lefty DELIO COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) closed the door, as the Gothic Knights upset #19/21 ranked Ramapo College on the road on April 26, in the second game of a two-day home-and home series at Jeff Maund Field.
 
Trailing 1-0 after five innings, NJCU earned its second win against a nationally-ranked conference opponent in 13 days by scoring twice in the top of the sixth and adding a key insurance run in the ninth en route to capturing its 17^th victory of the season (17-19, 5-11 NJAC). NJCU, previously upset winners over #1 ranked Kean University in Jersey City on April 13, outhit the Roadrunners, 11-9.
 
Ramapo (24-9-1, 8-7-1), which won game one of the series on Thursday in Jersey City, 6-2, entered the game ranked 19^th nationally by D3baseball.com and 21^st by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 25 Poll.
 
NJCU's 3-4-5 hitters accounted for all three runs driven in as rookie catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) and sophomore first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) each had sixth-inning RBI singles and senior left fielder ANDREW RIVERA (Edison, NJ/Edison)'s 135^th career hit added the third run in the top of the ninth.
 
Trela won his second career game (2-4), his first against a conference opponent and his first game since March 11 by throwing 5.1 innings of solid control, allowing one run against seven hits while striking out four and walking two over 95 pitches.
 
DeMarco, who joined teammate PEDRO GARCIA (North Bergen, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) as the first two pitchers in NJCU history to make 20 appearances in the same season, continued to be a sparkling middle reliever for the Knights. He inherited one runner in the sixth inning and continued doing what he does best—stranding men on bases. DeMarco, in his 20^th appearance of the season—just the third pitcher in school history to make 20 appearances in one campaign—has inherited 31 runners this year and only nine have scored. In 2.0 innings hitless innings in the win, he allowed just one walk over 31 pitches.
 
Coutinho, having successfully recovered from a season-ending arm injury just three games into the 2012 year, notched his first collegiate save by hurling the final 1.2 innings to close out the game. He allowed two hits and struck out two while facing seven batters and throwing 26 pitches.
 
After Ramapo collected back-to-back two out singles in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying runs in scoring position, Coutinho struck out sophomore left fielder Kevin Kelly (Columbia, NJ/North Warren) swinging on four pitches to seal the win.
 
Offensively, Weinstein was 2-for-5 with one RBI and senior second baseman PETE SENYSZYN (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) added a 2-for-4 effort with a run and walk. Sophomore third baseman MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) scored twice in a leadoff role (1-for-5). All nine batters in the starting lineup tallied at least one hit.
 
"It was a great team win," said second-year head coach Jerry Smith. "We've had games we won through hitting, some by pitching, some through defense and the same with our losses. But this was our most complete game. Though our offensive stats were not staggering, sometimes it's better to have timely hits than scattered. We had production on a hit-and-run by Pete [Senyszyn], and two-out RBIs by ALEX WEINSTEIN and ANDREW RIVERA. We extended the lead when we needed to."
 
"We also minimized many of their scoring options by getting off the field in situations with two outs and the bases loaded, and two outs and men on second and third. We also escaped and minimized a leadoff hit by pitch and stolen base situation with no outs and a runner on second. Winning the two-out battle is something we preach and today we won that part of the battle. Our defense was solid, and two freshmen and a sophomore on the hill responded with some big pitches in some high-stress situations against a highly-rated and good offensive opponent."
 
For Ramapo, three players had multiple hits. Senior third baseman Christian Spurr (Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills) batted 2-for-5 for the second day in a row and scored RCNJ's lone run. Junior first baseman Brandon Berger (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) was 2-for-3 and junior center fielder John Capuano (Ramsey, NJ/Ramsey) finished 2-for-5. Kelly had the lone RBI for the Roadrunners.
 
Senior righty Dan LaRocca (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) absorbed his fourth loss (3-4). In 8.0 innings, he allowed two runs (none earned) and nine hits, striking out six and walking one over 114 pitches. Sophomore lefty Mark Doyle (Howell, NJ/Howell) gave up the third run on one hit and one walk in one-third of an inning while senior righty Jimmy Knight (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) threw the final 0.2 innings, allowing one hit.
 
The two schools combined to strand 25 runners on base (Ramapo 14, NJCU 11). In the second, Weinstein and sophomore right fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) singled and moved into scoring position with two outs before a fly out ended the inning. RCNJ threatened in the bottom of the third, placing runners on the corners after singles by senior second baseman Anthony Vinci (Trumbull, CT) and Capuano before Trela coaxed senior right fielder Dave Jacob (Vernon, NJ/Vernon), the NJAC's leading hitter into a ground out to shortstop.
 
Ramapo eventually gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Spurr led off with a double before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Kelly. Berger doubled with two outs but was stranded at third.
 
NJCU got the runs it needed in the top of the sixth. Martucci reached on a one-out error and advanced to third on a single by Senyszyn. Niech tied the game with an RBI single through the left side on a 2-2 pitch. With two outs, Weinstein singled down the right field line on a 1-2 count, plating Senyszyn with the lead run and a 2-1 advantage
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Ramapo loaded the bases after a two-out error, before DeMarco, who entered in relief with one out in the inning, forced a Capuano grounder to first to end the threat.
 
In the top of the seventh, NJCU loaded the bases but couldn't plate a run. Ramapo had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning as Jacob was hit by a pitch, stole second with no outs and after DeMarco coerced a line out and foul pop, Jacob advanced to third on a wild pitch. DeMarco wouldn't be fazed, forcing Kelly to ground out to third to end the threat. Coutinho entered in relief with one out in the eighth and Berger on second after being hit by a pitch, but retired the next two batters with a ground ball to second and a fly out to right.
 
NJCU collected a key insurance run in the ninth as Martucci singled with one out, moved to second when Senyszyn walked on four pitches, and scored when Rivera ripped a two-out, two-strike pitch down the left field line for a 3-1 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the ninth Capuano grounded out to shortstop and Jacob struck out looking on three pitches. Spurr kept Ramapo alive with a single down the right field line and another single up the middle followed by a wild pitch put the tying runs at second and third. Coutinho settled down and K'd Kelly to end the game.
 
NJCU will play its final NJAC games of the 2013 season on Saturday, April 27 at 11:30 a.m. when it hosts Montclair State University at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex in a doubleheader. Between games of the doubleheader, NJCU will honor its five-man senior class—Garcia, center fielder MICHAEL PATTERSON (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway), Rivera, all-time victories leader and starter WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Ponce, Puerto Rico/County Prep) and Senyszyn.