New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University trailed 7-4 in game one but scored 11 consecutive runs, including seven in the top of the ninth inning to seize a 15-7 advantage, before host Rutgers University-Newark answered with six in the bottom of the ninth, but fell two runs short as NJCU edged the Scarlet Raiders, 15-13, in a wild New Jersey Athletic Conference game on April 5 at Riverfront Stadium. In game two, the Raiders scored four times in the first inning and notched 19 hits in a 14-3 win.
 
With the split, NJCU is 7-10 overall and 1-2 in the NJAC; Newark is 7-14, also 1-2 in the league. It was the second straight season the clubs split a doubleheader.
 
In defeat, junior third baseman/center fielder MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was a combined 6-for-10 with five runs, four RBIs and three doubles in a leadoff role to vault past four players into 19^th place in school history with 120 hits while freshman second baseman/shortstop TAYLOR BORN (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) finished 4-for-9 with three runs and two RBIs. Reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week and sophomore catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) had a hit in each game to extend his hitting streak to 12.
 
Newark was led by first baseman Vin Troisi who was a combined 6-for-11 with five runs, four RBIs and three doubles while right fielder Jimmy Napolitano batted 5-for-8 with four runs, four RBIs, two walks, two doubles and a triple.
 NJCU scored twice in the seventh and eighth innings to claim an 8-7 advantage then poured on seven runs in the top of the ninth, only to have to hold on for dear life when Newark scored six times in the bottom of the ninth, including a three-run homerun. NJCU also edged Newark by two in the hits department, 16-14.
 
Martucci was 4-for-6 with four RBIs, three runs, two doubles and a triple and freshman left fielder ERIC GIORDANO (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) notched his seventh straight multiple-hit game, reaching base four times with a 2-for-4 effort and three RBIs, two runs and two walks. Born went 2-for-5 with three runs and one RBI.
 
Additionally, junior designated hitter MIGUEL AVILES (Union City, NJ/Saint Mary's (Jersey City)) was 2-for-5 with an RBI and walk and junior right fielder ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) had two hits. Junior center fielder MATTHEW WAGNER (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and junior shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) each scored twice and drove in a run.
 
Troisi batted 3-for-6 with three runs and two RBIs while Napolitano finished 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks. But Napolitano was charged with the loss (0-2) in relief as the fourth pitcher, allowing four runs (three earned) with a walk and strikeout in an inning of relief in the eighth and ninth innings. All five pitchers used by RUN allowed at least two runs.
 
For NJCU, junior left-handed ace DELIO COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), the New Jersey Athletic Conference's strikeout leader, started but took a no-decision. He fanned four batters (three walks) allowing three earned runs (five total) and eight hits in 5.0 innings. Freshman righty MARK PETRUCELLI (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Queen of Peace) tossed 2.0 innings in relief, allowing one earned run (two total) and two hits.
 
Junior righty KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was the third man to take the hill and became the pitcher of record for NJCU, winning his second game (2-2) on a day where he gave up six runs and four hits with three strikeouts (two walks) in 2.0 innings but was picked up by the NJCU offense.
 RUN scored four times in the first and led 7-1 through three frames. NJCU scored twice in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 8-3 before the Raiders tacked on three runs in the bottom of the inning and added three more in the eighth.
 
Shortstop Ryan Macfarlane scored four times, batting 3-for-5 with an RBI and walk for RUN and Troisi batted 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Napolitano collected two runs and two RBIs, hitting 3-for-5 with a double and triple.
 
Newark compiled a season-high 19 hits—five more than in any previous game—while scoring a season-best 14 runs after previously scoring a high of 13 runs in the opener.
 
Center fielder Jason Mccluskey was 3-for-3 with one run and left fielder Cameron Dias drove in three runs in a 2-for-4, one-run performance. Third baseman Nick Gencarelli and second/third baseman Gerry Patrizio each had two hits and a run scored. Designated hitter Michael Murray knocked in a pair of runs.
 
In defeat, Martucci was 2-for-4 with two runs and Born added a 2-for-4 showing with an RBI as the tandem combined for four of NJCU's seven hits in the 1-2 spots in the lineup.
 
Michael Garcia earned a complete-game victory for RUN, allowing one earned run (three total) and seven hits with 10 strikeouts (one walk) over 121 pitches.
 
Freshman righty JOE STONE (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) started his second game, taking the loss (1-2) in 5.0 innings. NJCU used five pitchers. Wagner struck out two batters against one hit in the seventh inning.
 
On Sunday, April 6 at 11:30 a.m., NJCU hosts The College of New Jersey in a makeup NJAC doubleheader of a March 29 rainout at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex in Jersey City. 


 

GAME 1: Saturday, April 5, 2014 | Newark, NJ
New Jersey City University (7-9, 1-1 NJAC)	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	2	7	15	16	4
Rutgers University-Newark (6-14, 0-2 NJAC)	1	0	1	3	0	2	0	0	6	13	14	5
WP: KEVIN DEMAURO (2-2). LP: Jimmy Napolitano (0-2). HR: R-Steve Tamayo.

 

GAME 2: Saturday, April 5, 2014 | Newark, NJ
New Jersey City University (7-10, 1-2 NJAC)	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	7	3
Rutgers University-Newark (7-14, 1-2 NJAC)	4	1	2	0	0	1	3	3	X	14	19	1
WP: KEVIN DEMAURO (2-2). LP: Jimmy Napolitano (0-2). HR: R-Steve Tamayo.