New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
GOTHIC KNIGHT INSIGHTS: Post-game interview with DELIO COUTINHO and ERIC GIORDANO

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior left-hander DELIO COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) struck out 12 batters in his first career complete-game—the third time this season he's fanned 10 or more batters in a game and the only known player in Gothic Knight history to do so four times in a career—while freshman left fielder ERIC GIORDANO (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) ripped a two-out, two-run go-ahead double to center in the bottom of the eighth as NJCU defeated Richard Stockton College, 4-2, in the opening game of a two-day New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball home-and-home series on April 10 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
On a day where NJCU (9-12, 3-4 NJAC) stranded 12 men on base but got the timely hit it needed late, the win over Stockton (13-10, 3-4 NJAC) is key. Seven games into the 18-game conference schedule, all 10 teams in the NJAC have at least three league wins and the bottom five teams in the standings—including #6/7 ranked Kean and NJCU—are all in a virtual tie for the sixth place berth in the post-season field.
 
Coutinho, who entered the day as the NJAC strikeout leader with 47 in 32.2 innings while ranking 10^th in Division III in strikeouts per game, upped those totals with 59 K's in 41.2 innings while closing in on 100 strikeouts in his brief career.
 
Coutinho, who also has performances of 14 and 10 strikeouts this season, struck out eight batters in the first four innings of the game including the first five recorded outs. In the complete game victory (3-1)—his first career conference win—nine of his 12 strikeouts were swinging, as he scattered seven singles and allowed one earned run (two total) with five walks while notching 10 fly outs and four grounders.
 
Meanwhile Giordano, who came up with the bases loaded in the fourth only to rip a sharp line drive to center to end the threat, and again came to the plate in the sixth inning with two men on and two outs before grounding out, made the most of his third opportunity in the eighth inning.
 

NJCU BASEBALL 100-HIT CLUB
RANK	HITS	NAME	YEARS
1.	196	Rob Sumner	2005-08
2.	177	Rob Gonzalez	2009-11
3.	167	Phil Zaffarano	1994-97
4.	160	Rich Levens	1986-88
5.	158	Nick Cucinello	1990-93
6.	154	Dave Long	1987-90
7.	149	Jonathan Thomas	2001-04
8.	148	Charlie Auletto	1993-95
9.	143	Sean Costello	1984-87
10t.	141	Brian Veneziano	1997-00
10t.	141	Michael Fiorentino	2009-11
12.	139	Ruben Borges	2005-07
13t.	135	ANDREW RIVERA	2010-13
13t.	135	Eric Martinez	1996-98
15.	134	Romano Lake	1987-90
16t.	123	MICHAEL MARTUCCI	2012-14
16t.	123	Joe Wells	1978-81
18.	122	Anthony Squeglia	1986-89
19.	121	B.J. Fearon	1994-96
20t.	120	Ray Nazzaro	1982-85
20t.	120	Alex Mena	2007-10
22.	119	Rick Pizzuti	1997-99
23.	118	Anthony Caivano	2002-05
24.	117	Steve Stiller	2001-04
25.	114	Justin Pelka	1996-99
26.	112	Pat Moore	2002-04
27t.	111	Jose Fulgencio	2007-08
27t.	111	Anthony Mackow	2005-08
29t.	110	Denis Peguero	2001-04
29t.	110	Jeff Gajewski	1993-96
31.	108	Tom Burke	2008-10
32.	107	Paul Grasso	1991-93
33.	106	Phil Lospalluto	2002-03
34.	105	Mark Hoyer	2008-09
35.	105	Ken Witte	2009-11
36.	101	Jim Roselli	1986-89
Updated: 4/10/2014

With one out, junior third baseman MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) singled, rookie second baseman TAYLOR BORN (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) reached on an error and both men advanced on a groundout by sophomore catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) before Giordano put NJCU in front with a two-run single on 2-2 pitch to center.
 
Giordano finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double for his 12^th multiple-hit game of the season, Martucci was 2-for-5 with two runs to move into 16^th place in school history in hits and Niech reached base four times, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks.
 
Also for NJCU, junior first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) was on base four times, batting 2-for-2 with two walks and junior center fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) went 2-for-4.Stockton senior right-hander Jim Schramm went 5.0 innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs and eight hits with a strikeout and four walks. Sophomore righty Doug Pastore took the loss in relief (0-1), giving up two unearned runs and four hits with a strikeout and walk in 3.0 frames.

PICKOFFS, NJCU PITCHING (since 2000)
YEAR	PICKOFFS
2014	12
2013	16
2012	10
2011	7
2010	4
2009	12
2008	6
2007	9
2006	10
2005	8
2004	3
2003	5
2002	13
2001	3
2000	3

 
Offensively, junior right fielder George Eisenhart was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and senior center fielder Mike Bush walked three times, stole two bases and scored once. Senior second baseman was 2-for-4 while sophomore designated hitter Matt Mangarella walked twice.
 
In the first inning, Bush walked on four pitches, stole second and third and scored on an RBI single to right by Eisenhart. Coutinho settled down—striking out three batters in the inning swinging to give him 50 K's in 33.2 innings. In the bottom of the inning, Niech walked with two outs and Giordano doubled to the left center gap before a groundout to short ended the threat.
 
Coutinho struck out the first batter looking and the next swinging for his fifth of the game through two innings. In the third, Coutinho struck out the first batter swinging and his seventh strikeout and second of the inning ended the frame. But Stockton capitalized on an error with two outs. Mangarella took off for second on a clean pickoff throw to first and when Weinstein dropped the ball, Eisenhart, who singled, scored from third for a 2-0 lead.
 NJCU got on the board in the third. Martucci led off with a single to right, aggressively advanced two based to third on a sac bunt by Born and scored when the throw was airmailed over the head of the third baseman. Niech followed with a single that would have scored the run regardless and back-to-back walks loaded the bases before a popped up 3-1 pitch stranded the bags full.
 
In the fourth, Coutinho's eighth strikeout ended a 1-2-3 inning. In the bottom of the inning, Wagner singled, and a two-out error followed by a walk to Niech loaded the bases for the second straight inning before a sharply-hit line drive to center by Giordano ended the threat. NJCU left nine men on through four innings.
 
In the fifth, Bush walked but was picked off and thrown out stealing with one out. That proved to be key as a long drive to the left center gap would have plated a third run. In the bottom of the inning, junior designated hitter PAT SHELDRICK (Ocean Gate, NJ/Central Regional), who popped up to end the third, singled with two outs and when Wagner hit a blooper down the right field line, Sheldrick reached third. In a play resembling a squeeze, Wagner intentionally got caught in a 9-3-6-4 rundown after the hit, allowing Sheldrick to score the tying run, 2-2, before the tag was applied to Wagner.
 
Coutinho's ninth strikeout ended a 1-2-3 sixth inning and his 10th and 11th K's came in the 7th, including a third out swinging on a high fast ball with two men on base. In the top of the eighth, a one out walk and throwing error pushed a runner to second before Coutinho's 12th strikeout, a fast ball on the low inside corner to Mark Jankowski ended the inning.
 
NJCU had stranded at least one runner on base in every inning except the fifth before Giordano's eighth-inning heroics. Coutinho coerced two ground outs and a pop up in an uneventful ninth inning.
 
The two schools play again in the second game of the home-and-home series on Friday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m. in Galloway, NJ.