AUBURNDALE, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman right-hander Jose Ortiz (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) was masterful in his collegiate pitching debut, hurling a complete-game two-hit shutout and red-hot senior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) had five RBIs as New Jersey City University won its first baseball game this season, thrashing Dickinson College, 11-0 in seven innings on March 9.
 
NJCU (1-3) had just 19 hits in its first three games before pounding out 15 in the win over the Red Devils (1-4), members of the Centennial Conference. Eight different NJCU players collected a hit against a Dickinson squad that went 22-12-1 last year.
 
Ortiz' collegiate debut was nothing short of sensational. In 7.0 innings he struck out eight, walked none, and allowed just two hits over 89 pitches while facing just 23 batters—two over the minimum. He retired 10 consecutive batters between the end of the first and fifth innings, including the side in order in the second, third and fourth. Ortiz fanned two batters in both the second and third frames.
 
Weinstein produced the most runs by an NJCU batter since 2013 and continues to be a spark plug in the lineup. He batted 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two doubles to give him 105 career hits. He is hitting .444 (8-18) through four games.
 
Sophomore right fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) knocked in four other runs and scored twice, batting 1-for-3 with a triple to extend his on-base streak to 17 games.
 
Senior center fielder Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) notched a 4-for-4 performance with three runs, two stolen bases and one RBI and walked once to reach base five times. He's now tied for eighth in school history with 148 career hits. Junior catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) moved within two hits of joining the 100-hit club, batting 3-for-4 with three runs and a walk.
 

Billy O'Neill suffered the loss for the Red Devils (0-1), allowing three runs and four hits against four walks in 2.0 innings before Dickinson used two other pitchers.
 
NJCU led 1-0 after the top of the first before plating three runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings and another in the seventh.
 
The only run NJCU needed came in the opening frame when Niech walked, advanced to third on a Martucci single and scored on a groundout by Giordano.
 
In the third, NJCU began to pull away. Niech singled, Martucci walked and after a pitching change, Giordano ripped a two-run triple down the right field line. Weinstein followed with a double to left center and NJCU led, 4-0.
 
In the fifth, Niech and Martucci singled and Giordano walked to load the bags with no outs. Weinstein deposited a double into the left-center gap to knock in two runs. Sophomore Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) came through with a pinch hit single to left, scoring Weinstein, before Giordano was thrown out at the plate. NJCU led 7-0 after five.
 
With Ortiz in control, NJCU's offense had a chance to get into a groove it hopes will carry over to future games. In the sixth, sophomore Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) singled, freshman left fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) walked and a single by Martucci loaded the bases. After Giordano pushed across the eighth run with a sacrifice fly, Weinstein dropped a two-run single into left field to extend the margin to 10-0. Martucci added a two-out RBI single in the seventh.
 
QUOTES:
Head Coach Jerry Smith (fourth season):
 
On Jose Ortiz' tremendous debut: "Jose is as tough as any pitcher is when you are able to locate three pitches, and today he had that. We do not discuss must wins or big games because we feel as though each game should be approached with that importance. However, in this case starting the season 0-3, it is nice to be able to hand the ball over to a freshman and get the performance that he produced. Jose possessed a lot of poise and confidence today. He was a calming influence on a team that needed it in this stage of the season."
 
On the offensive showing: "Offensively we started out slow this season but the talent is there. It's just about getting more reps outside and becoming consistent which many of the teams from the north, including our opponents, battle with. We have a good group that is really doing a nice job being coachable and buying into our team philosophy and their individual roles. And some of our veterans like Andrew [Niech], Mike [Martucci], Eric [Giordano], and Alex [Weinstein] were able to be our run producers today as they should be all season. Particularly Alex, whom we started hitting in the two hole; we discussed the move to the five and how he needs to produce not only with no runners on but doing a better job with runners in scoring position and today he flourished in those positions. We went back to his roots and why he is here—referring back to high school where he produced 49 RBI in a single season earning him All-County honors."
 
OF NOTE:

• Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational.
• Alex Weinstein is now tied for 35th in school history with 105 hits in 113 games. He equaled Ken Witte (2009-11) on the all-time list.
• Michael Martucci is now tied with Charlie Auletto (1993-95) for eighth in school history with 148 career hits in 114 games. Jonathan Thomas (2001-04) with 149 hits is next up.
• Andrew Niech increased his career hits total to 98 in 79 games. He will seek to become the 39th member of the 100-hit club and the second this week [Alex Weinstein]. The last season NJCU had multiple players reach the 100-hit milestone was 2010 [Tom Burke, Michael Fiorentino, Rob Gonzalez, Alex Mena].
• Alex Weinstein's five RBIs were the most in a game since Michael Patterson drove in six runs at Centenary on February 24, 2013.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
On Tuesday, March 10, NJCU heads to Winter Haven, FL to face Principia College at Chain of Lakes Park. The Panthers, members of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and based in Elsah, Illinois are 0-1, losing their season opener to Albion, 8-2, on March 9.