New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score MADISON, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior left-handed ace

became head coach of the Knights in 2012.
 
Coutinho, the winner in relief against Centenary in NJCU's previous game on May 2, improved to 5-3 on the season while moving into second place in single-season school history with 78 strikeouts—the most by an NJCU pitcher since 1982. Coutinho threw 7.0 innings in the win in his 10^th start of the season and allowed just one unearned run and four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Coutinho struck out two batters in the first inning and three in the fourth frame with at least one in each of the first five innings.

Smith praised his ace by saying: "Delio did a nice job getting ahead against a team who offensively battled the entire game. FDU did a nice job extending at bats and Delio's eight strikeouts were hard-earned. He did a nice job today executing pitches as opposed to trying to just overpower. It's adjustments like that that shows the maturity of Delio and shows how far he has come to be a pitcher for us. The attributes he displayed today shows why he's a top line pitcher in our rotation."
 
Meanwhile freshman second base NICK RUSCINGNO (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) continued his torrid pace to end the season, extending his hitting streak to 18 games by batting 3-for-5 with two RBIs. He is 30-for-65 (.462) since the streak began on April 6 against TCNJ.
 
Sophomore catcher ANDREW NIECH (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) was 2-for-5 with a run scored and junior shortstop NICHOLAS D'ERRICO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was 2-for-4. Freshman left fielder ERIC GIORDANO (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) extended his hit streak to 14 games, drawing a pair of walks while going 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Junior center fielder MICHAEL MARTUCCI (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) had one hit to move into a tie for ninth place in school history in career hits with 143.
 
Freshman righty MARK PETRUCELLI (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Queen of Peace), pitched the eighth inning, allowing a pair of runs. It was his 22^nd appearance of the season—tying the single-season school record accomplished in 2009 and matched last year. Junior right-hander KEVIN DEMAURO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) struck out a pair of batters in the ninth before FDU scored once with two outs. With the tying run at the plate he fanned his third batter of the inning to end the game—the 11^th K by an NJCU pitcher on the day.
 
FDU junior right-hander AJ Pichalski (Iselin, NJ/JFK-Iselin), a former high school teammate of junior first baseman ALEX WEINSTEIN (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin), Giordano, and freshmen ZACH BUCHHOLZ (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) and JOE STONE (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) was on the short-side of the reunion, taking the loss for the Devils (2-2), despite allowing one run and three hits with a strikeout in 3.0 innings. FDU used eight pitchers in the game.
 
The Devils had just seven hits and four came courtesy of shortstop Brandan Adams (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial), who was 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and run scored. First baseman Frank LaGuarina (Somerset, NJ/Immaculata) had two of the other three hits.
 

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
9t.	143	MICHAEL MARTUCCI	2012-14
9t.	143	Sean Costello	1984-87
11t.	141	Brian Veneziano	1997-00
11t.	141	Michael Fiorentino	2009-11
13.	139	Ruben Borges	2005-07
14t.	135	ANDREW RIVERA	2010-13
14t.	135	Eric Martinez	1996-98
16.	134	Romano Lake	1987-90
17.	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
36t.	101	Jim Roselli	1986-89
36t.	101	Alfredo Monagas	1979-82
Updated: 5/6/2014

"It showed a lot of character and maturity with our young team to finish the season with three consecutive wins, with conference [games] being over and no playoffs on the line," Smith said about his team's strong finish to the season. "In those three games you were visually able to see the improvement in the team since day one. With a roster of no seniors and at times as many as six freshmen in the starting lineup, we're excited with the direction of the program. The foundation is set and it's time for us to take the next step next season. A lot of work needs to be invested by each individual this offseason in preparation for next year."
NJCU got on the board in the second inning. Niech led off with a single, advanced on an error and wild pitch and scored when Ruscingno singled to right with an RBI for a 1-0 lead to extend his hitting streak.
 
In the top of the fifth, junior right fielder MIGUEL AVILES (Union City, NJ/Saint Mary's (Jersey City)) walked, freshman designated hitter JOE COUTINHO (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) singled and D'Errico dropped down a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Weinstein drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly to right. After freshman third baseman TAYLOR BORN (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) reached on an error for a school-record 12^th time this season to reload the bases, Giordano singled through the right side for a 3-0 margin before FDU recorded the next two outs to strand three runners. 

Back-to-back extra-base hits to lead off the seventh extended NJCU's lead to 4-0. Weinstein tripled down the right field line—his 97^th career hit—before scoring on a double to left center by Born. After a walk to Giordano, back-to-back singles by Martucci and Niech loaded the bases with nobody out with Martucci's hit driving in Born. NJCU's fifth hit of the inning, an infield single by Ruscingno, made it a 6-0 lead. JOE COUTINHO's one-out single to left center knocked in the fourth run of the inning as 10 men came to the plate for the Knights in the frame.
 
NJCU lost the shutout in the bottom of the seventh after two walks and an error on a fielder's choice loaded the bases and Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) flew out to right for a sacrifice fly and an unearned run.
 
FDU added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Adams led off with a single and LaGuarina doubled before back-to-back groundouts by Bryan Pieschel and freshman Nick DeAngelis (East Hanover, NJ/Morris Catholic) made it a 7-3 contest. A two-out double by Adams in the bottom of the ninth provided a final run for the Devils after a walk and hit by pitch. With LaGuarina, representing the tying run, DeMauro struck him out swinging to end the game and the 67^th season of Gothic Knight baseball.