New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score MADISON, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Six New Jersey City University pitchers combined on a six-hitter and the Gothic Knights scored seven times in the second inning in a game where NJCU pounded out 22 hits, hammering host Drew University, 14-2, in non-conference action on March 27. NJCU's 22 hits were the most in a game in four years.
 
NJCU (5-8) won its fourth consecutive game and has outscored its opponents a combined 39-4 since returning from Florida, while its red-hot pitching staff has not allowed more than two runs or one earned run in any of the four outings. Drew fell to 5-7 with the setback.
 
Seven Gothic Knights chalked up multiple hits, with five players collecting at least three. Rookie first baseman DAN BERARDI (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) batted 4-for-5 with three runs, two RBIs, a double and triple and sophomore catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and a double.
 
Freshman left fielder ERIC GIORDANO (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) notched his fourth straight multiple-hit game and sixth of the season. He reached base five times, batting 3-for-4 with two walks and a run scored. Junior third baseman/pitcher MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) collected three hits (3-for-5) with two RBIs, a double and run scored, upping his career hits mark to 110.
 
Additionally, junior shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored—including two hits in the second inning—and junior designated hitter/pitcher ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) broke out of a five-game, 0-for-18 slump by going 3-for-6 with two runs and one RBI.
 
In all, every Gothic Knight who started had at least one hit. Junior right fielder MIGUEL AVILES (Union City, NJ/Saint Mary's (Jersey City)) was 2-for-6 with a run and RBI, junior center fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) drove in two runs and freshman second/third baseman TAYLOR BORN (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) scored twice.
 
In a pre-determined six-man rotation, freshman JOE STONE (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) claimed his first collegiate victory (1-1) despite only going 2.0 innings. In the start, he allowed one run and three hits. Freshman ZACH BUCHHOLZ (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) made his collegiate pitching debut, allowing one unearned run and three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 2.1 innings.
 
The next four NJCU pitchers did not allow a hit over the final five innings of work. Freshman righty MARK PETRUCELLI (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Queen of Peace) faced six batters in 1.2 innings, striking out one. Weinstein pitched the seventh inning, striking out one batter and walking one. Martucci fanned two batters in a 1-2-3 eighth inning and D'Errico set aside the three Ranger batters he faced in the ninth.
 
For Drew, shortstop Jonathan Rodrigues was 2-for-4 with a run scored and catcher Matthew Kaplon (1-for-3) had the lone RBI.
 
The Rangers utilized four pitchers. Ryan Fitzpatrick (1-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs (six earned) and nine hits in 1.2 innings. The fourth pitcher used, Pat Lydon, was the lone effective reliever, throwing two innings against one hit.
 
NJCU scored all the runs it would need in the first inning when it tallied three runs on five hits, aided by a pair of Drew errors. The Rangers committed six errors in the loss. With two outs, an RBI single by Berardi drove in Aviles, who singled, for the first run. It was the first of four consecutive hits for NJCU, including a Giordano single that was misplayed in right field, allowing Berardi to come home, and an RBI single from Martucci.
 
The Knights followed the big inning with an enormous second, as 12 men came to the plate and NJCU produced seven runs on eight hits, aided by two errors. A single by D'Errico and an error put two men on before Niech deposited a two-run single down the right field line and Berardi tripled for a 6-1 lead before scoring on a wild pitch. A Giordano single and Martucci double slid two runners into scoring position, setting up Wagner for a two-run single to left and a 9-1 advantage before he scored on an RBI single by Aviles for the 10^th run.
 
Drew, which scored its lone earned run in the second inning after back-to-back doubles, grabbed a second run in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball.
 
Leading 10-2, NJCU poured on four more runs in the seventh—an RBI double by Niech, RBI single by Weinstein, Martucci sacrifice fly and a D'Errico single down the right field line—to push the margin to the eventual final 14-2 mark.
 
Weather permitting, NJCU will open its 18-game New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday, March 29 at 11:30 a.m. in a home doubleheader against The College of New Jersey (10-4) at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. TCNJ has won the last 32 meetings since 1997 and NJCU has not defeated the Lions in Jersey City since April 23, 1989.

Thursday, March 27, 2014 | Madison, NJ
New Jersey City University (5-8)	3	7	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	14	22	2
Drew University (5-7)	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	6	6
WP: JOE STONE (1-1). LP: Ryan Fitzpatrick (1-1).