New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman right-handed pitcher Jason Szurlej (Linden, NJ/Linden) tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout on an economical 96 pitches and the New Jersey City University baseball pounded out 15 hits in a 10-0 non-conference blanking of FDU-Florham on April 14 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

Gothic Knight Insights: Interview with Jason Szurlej
 
Szurlej, who was the winning pitcher in a 11-0 shutout of Baruch two weeks ago when he allowed just four hits in 6.0 innings, improved to 3-0 in his rookie campaign, scattering just two singles, with only one hit in the first eight frames. He struck out two and walked a pair and FDU did not have a runner reach third until the ninth inning.
 
NJCU improved its stock to 11-12 on the season, snapping a four-game losing skid. The Devils, in the middle of a busy week of baseball which includes 13 games in a span of 10 days, dropped to 6-16.
 
Senior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) was 3-for-4 with three runs, two steals and a walk while sophomore left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) doubled twice and extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 37, going 2-for-3 with three runs, a walk and RBI. Senior third baseman/center fielder Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) had one hit, notching the 177th of his career, to move into a tie for second place in the program's annals.
 
Sophomore second baseman Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had a double and three RBIs (1-for-2, walk) and sophomore shortstop Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) drove in a pair of runs in a 3-for-4 showing. Sophomore right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) also managed two hits (2-for-3, RBI, walk).
 
Freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) played some scintillating defense in center field, making six putouts, including three long, running catches, highlighted by a Top 10 caliber leaping grab just shy of the fence in near straight-away center in the top of the fourth to take away an extra-base hit.
 
FDU used four pitchers. Sophomore righty Tyler Keefe (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) suffered the loss (0-3), giving up eight of the 10 runs in 2.0 innings. Relievers Parker Beck and Michael Crowe held NJCU scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings.
 

In the blink of an eye in the first inning, NJCU put the game out of reach, ringing up six runs on six hits, aided by a pair of errors as 12 men came to the plate. Three straight singles by Rueger, junior designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) and Martucci gave NJCU all the offense it would need. After an error led to another run, Ruscingno deposited a two-run double to left center and Coutinho singled home a run for a 5-0 advantage. Buchholz followed with a one-out RBI single for a 6-0 edge.
 
NJCU added two more runs in the second when Weinstein led off with a single, stole second and scored when Giordano doubled down the left field line. Rookie catcher Adam Feldman (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) drove home Giordano for an 8-0 differential.
 
The Knights tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth as Weinstein singled, Giordano doubled and both scored as Ruscingno collected a sacrifice fly and Buchholz tallied an RBI single.
 
QUOTES:
 
Freshman pitcher Jason Szurlej:
 
On his performance: "I was very comfortable out there, especially with my catchers behind the dish [Adam Feldman, James Gardner] calling the right pitches and just trusting my fielders to make the plays. Glad I could get a 'W' out of it."
 
On why he was so efficient: "Just getting ahead of hitters, getting ahead in counts early and not giving them anything good to hit or anything off the barrel [of the bat]. My fielders behind me made all the plays and I have to give them a lot of credit too."
 
OF NOTE:

• Michael Martucci with 177 hits in 133 games has equaled Rob Gonzalez (177 hits, 2009-11) for second place in school history. He is 19 hits behind the record-holder Rob Sumner (196 hits, 2005-08). Martucci has reached base in 20 consecutive games. He has scored 101 career runs (fifth in school history). Martucci tied Nick Cucinello for second place in school history in games started (133, 1990-93) and is three shy of the program record (136, Rob Sumner, 2005-08). His 133 total games played equals Dave Long (1987-90) for third place. Sumner played 138; Cucinello had 134.
• Alex Weinstein upped his career hits total to 136 in 132 games, passing Romano Lake (1987-90, 134 hits), former teammate Andrew Rivera (2010-13, 135 hits) and Eric Martinez (1996-98, 135 hits) for 14th place in school history. He continues to have a career season (.419, 39 hits, 29 RBIs, 22 runs, 15 doubles, 2 home runs) and has 22 career doubles after entering the year with seven in his first three seasons, including just one in each of the previous two years.
• Niech had one hit, upping his career hits total to 131 in 98 games for 18th place. The program all-time leader in doubles (33) reached 40 hits for the third consecutive season (42 in 2013, 49 in 2014).
• Eric Giordano has now hit safely in 20 of 23 games this season and 49 of 60 career games (76 hits). His 37-game on-base streak is the second longest in NJCU history. The NJCU and conference mark is 50 games by Jose Fulgencio from March 10, 2007 to March 16, 2008, which is also the third longest known streak in Division III history.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Tomorrow NJCU heads to Newburgh, NY for a non-conference make-up with Mount Saint Mary College, in a game rescheduled from March 24. The April 15 game starts at 3:30 p.m. The Blue Knights, members of the Skyline Conference, are 9-10.