AUBURNDALE, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University was hanging onto a 6-5 lead before uncorking six runs in the top of the eighth inning and behind a 17-hit performance, the Gothic Knights handled Husson University, 12-5, in the final game of the 2015 spring baseball trip on March 11 at Lake Myrtle Field.
 
After losing the first three games of the trip where NJCU struggled to score (9 runs, 19 hits), the Knights finished the trip on a tear—notching 48 runs and 53 hits in the last three games. Husson, located in Bangor, Maine and members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), dropped to 1-5.
 
Senior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin), who has been a catalyst all week, was the story again, producing a 3-for-4 effort with two RBIs, two doubles and a run scored to increase his career hits mark to 111. Junior designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) had three more hits the day after joining Weinstein in the 100-hit club. Niech was 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
 
Weinstein finished the trip batting .519 (14-27) with nine RBIs, seven doubles and four runs while Niech hit .500 (15-30) with 10 runs, five RBIs and three doubles.
 
Meanwhile, senior center fielder Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) had three hits on the day to surpass 150 for his career (152), batting 3-for-5 with a walk and run scored.
 
Also for NJCU, freshman catcher Adam Feldman (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and freshman left fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) hit 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
 
Sophomore right fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) hit safely for the 19th time in 20 games and extended his on-base streak to 19 contests, going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) drew three walks, sophomore third baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) had two RBIs and freshman second baseman Javi Estevez (Union City, NJ/Union City) scored twice.
 
Senior right-handed Kevin DeMauro (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) went 7.0 innings to claim his first win (1-1). He struck out four, walked two and allowed five runs and 13 hits. Freshman lefty Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) came in and was lights out in the final two innings, striking out five, walking one while permitting no runs and one hit. Ramirez struck out the side swinging in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Husson, which held a 4-3 lead after four innings, had 14 hits in the loss as six players had multiple hits, led by right fielder Andrew Curran at 3-for-5. Second baseman Brandon Gendreau, left fielder Kyle Bishop, center fielder Christian Corneil, third baseman Adam Wilson and shortstop Ryan Rebar each had two hits.
 
The Eagles used four pitchers with starter Zak Kochis taking the loss (0-1) in 4.1 innings. He allowed six runs (three earned), eight hits with four walks and one strikeout.
 

NJCU struck first in the third, scoring three unearned runs. After an error on a fielder's choice led to the first run, a sacrifice fly by Giordano and a Weinstein double to center made it 3-0. Husson got one back in the bottom of the frame on a sac fly.
 
The Eagles momentarily claimed a 4-3 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, pulling in front on a bases loaded single by Gendreau, before DeMauro coaxed an inning-ending double play.
 
NJCU countered with three in the top of the fifth. Martucci and Giordano had a pair of singles and Weinstein doubled before a wild pitch scored Giordano to tie it. Weinstein scored the go-ahead run on a balk and an RBI single by Feldman made it a 6-4 game. A seventh inning sac fly by Husson trimmed the lead to one.
 
But NJCU put it away in the eighth inning as 10 men came to the plate. A bases loaded walk by Giordano and a Weinstein sac fly pushed the margin to 8-5. Another bases loaded walk to Feldman, followed by a two-run single to right by Born, extended the cushion to 11-5 and Buchholz reached on an error that plated the final run.
 
OF NOTE:

• Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational.
• Michael Martucci is now seventh in school history with 152 career hits in 116 games. He passed Jonathan Thomas (2001-04, 149 hits) on the all-time list. Next up in sixth place is Dave Long with 154 hits (1987-90).
• Alex Weinstein is now tied for 27th in school history with 111 hits in 115 games. He is tied with Jose Fulgencio (2007-08) and Anthony Mackow (2005-08) on the all-time list and passed Denis Peguero (2001-04, 110 hits), Jeff Gajewski (1993-96, 110 hits) and Tom Burke (2008-10, 108 hits).
• Andrew Niech increased his career hits total to 106 in 81 games. He equaled Phil Lospalluto (2002-03, 106 hits) and passed Mark Hoyer (2008-09, 105 hits) and Ken Witte (2009-11, 105 hits) in program history.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Sunday, March 15, NJCU will try for the fourth time to play a northern game when it meets City College of New York in a makeup doubleheader (9 innings/7 innings) of a March 1 postponement. The site and time of that game is yet to be announced. The Beavers are 0-1 with two games scheduled on March 14.