JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Montclair State University scored seven unearned runs after three errors were committed with two outs in the top of the first inning and the New Jersey City University baseball team could never recover, falling 14-5 to the Red Hawks in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home series on April 16 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Montclair State (11-14, 5-6 NJAC) added two runs in the second and three more in the third for a 13-0 lead that was insurmountable. NJCU dropped to 11-14 (3-8 NJAC). Each team committed three errors in the contest. NJCU pitching walked 10 Red Hawk batters in the game and only seven of the 14 runs were earned.
 
Sophomore right fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) was 0-for-4 and did not walk or get hit by a pitch, thus ending his two-year consecutive games on-base streak at 38 straight games, including the first 24 this season, after the run began on April 17, 2014. It was the second longest streak in NJCU's baseball annals and fifth longest in NJAC history.
 
Senior third baseman/shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) had an RBI double in the eighth inning for the 178th hit of his career to move into sole possession of second place in program history in career hits. He is also second all-time with 30 doubles, passing the previous record holder in the loss.
 
Montclair senior left/center fielder Mike Tolerico (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) drove in four runs and reached base three times, batting 1-for-3 with two runs and two walks.

MSU senior first baseman Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) reached base four times (2-for-4, 2 walks) and scored three times and sophomore center fielder Philip Scott (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) walked and scored twice (1-for-3, RBI).
 
Also for the Red Hawks, junior Kevin Alonso (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) had two RBIs (1-for-5, 1 run) and sophomore designated hitter Matt Long (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) was 2-for-3.
 
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Donald Cusick (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) went the first 6.0 innings for the win (1-3), allowing a run on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks on 78 pitches. Sophomore righty Taylor Parsons (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) retired all three batters he faced (one strikeout) in relief before MSU had two other pitchers complete the final two frames.
 
Senior righty Kevin DeMauro (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) didn't get much support in the first inning and suffered the loss (1-3). In 2.1 innings he allowed 13 runs but only six were earned (six walks, three strikeouts, eight hits, 109 pitches).
 
Senior righty Tom Colaiacovo, Jr. (Helmetta, NJ/Southern Regional) retired both batters he faced in relief in the third (one strikeout) before junior righty Azriel Andrickson (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) had the longest outing of his Gothic Knight career, throwing a quality 6.0 innings (80 pitches), allowing one run against three hits with a strikeout and four walks.
 
SCORING GLANCES:
DeMauro got off to a wild start in the first, walking three batters (one intentionally) and hitting one, with a bases loaded walk pushing across the lead run. Only two of the first 18 pitches were strikes. Still, NJCU was on the verge of getting out of the inning with minimal damage. That was before the defense let NJCU down. A two-out error at shortstop allowed a second run to score and on another routine grounder to short a throwing error over the head of the second baseman into right field pushed two more batters across as Montclair gained a 4-0 differential.
 
The third error in a row, this time a dropped fly in left, plated two more runs before an RBI triple to left center by Scott and an infield single by sophomore right fielder Ryan Long (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) made it 8-0 before NJCU ever stepped to the plate.
 
In all, Montclair scored seven unearned runs after two outs in the inning with 12 men coming to the plate when NJCU could have been out of the frame down just one run. DeMauro threw 49 pitches in the opening inning.
 
MSU added another run in the second on a pair of singles by senior first baseman Reynolds and an RBI to center by freshman shortstop Hector Gonzalez (Meriden, CT). Alonso singled down the left field line to make it 10-0.
 
Montclair added three runs in the third, including a two-run double by Tolerico. NJCU got a run back in the third when freshman left fielder Chris Stevenson (Belmar, NJ/Red Bank Regional) singled and later scored on a groundout by junior catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia). The Knights added three runs in the eighth on Martucci's double and a fielder's choice by Giordano. The tandem later executed a delayed double steal with Martucci taking home. Freshman Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen), who entered the game in the final innings, had an RBI single in the ninth.
 
OF NOTE:

• Michael Martucci has 178 hits in 135 games and eclipsed Rob Gonzalez (177 hits, 2009-11) for second place in school history. He is 18 hits behind the record-holder Rob Sumner (196 hits, 2005-08). Martucci walked in the seventh inning to extend his own reached base streak to 22 consecutive games. He has scored 102 career runs (fifth in school history). Martucci moved within one game started of the all-time program record (136, Rob Sumner, 2005-08). His 135 total games played is also second (Sumner played 13).
• Alex Weinstein was held without a hit. He has 136 in 134 games, 14th in school history.
• Andrew Niech had one hit, upping his career hits total to 133 in his 100th game (18th place). The program all-time leader in doubles hit his 34th in the game. He now has 42 hits this year (42 in 2013, 49 in 2014).
• Eric Giordano's 38-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 and Montclair complete the two-day series at Yogi Berra Stadium at 3:30 p.m. in Little Falls, NJ.