JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the second straight day, the New Jersey City University baseball team struggled on the mound in the early innings as cross-Hudson rival Stevens Institute of Technology scored 15 runs in the first two frames, including 10 runs in the second inning, and after a 59-minute lightning delay, fended off the Gothic Knights, 18-8, in non-conference action on April 22 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Stevens (22-10) won its seventh consecutive game, pounding out 19 hits, but only three that went for extra bases. NJCU (12-18) lost its third straight. NJCU threw eight pitchers in the game but only two had effective outings.
 
The Ducks led 5-2 after one inning before putting the game away when 14 batters stepped to the plate in the second. In a game that started 90 minutes early in an effort to fit in baseball around the forecast, by the time the delay was lifted the Ducks' bats had been cooled. But NJCU, which scored six times in the middle innings, had fallen too far behind to make a legitimate comeback bid.
 
Five different players had multiple RBIs for the Ducks, but it was sophomore designated hitter Zeph Walters (Diamond Bar, Calif.) who made the biggest impact, batting 3-for-5 with five RBIs, three runs scored and a pair of extra-base hits. He had two hits in the second inning, including a two-run ground-rule double and later added a three-run homer in the eighth.
 
Senior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) continued to swing a hot bat for NJCU, driving in three runs—a two-run single in the first inning to make it a three-run game and another RBI single in the fifth—and finished 3-for-5.  
 
Senior shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) continued his pursuit of the program's all-time hits record, batting 3-for-4 with two runs (walk, RBI, 31st career double) while extending his consecutive games on-base streak to 27—the third longest known such streak in school history and second longest this season after teammate and sophomore left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, N.J./JFK-Iselin) had a 38-game streak end on April 16. Martucci also upped his second-place career hits total to 187 in 140 games—now nine shy of matching the program's all-time mark of 196 by Rob Sumner (2005-08).  
 
Senior right-handed pitcher Kevin DeMauro (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) didn't have his best effort but by being the third NJCU pitcher used in the first inning, he became the program's all-time leader in pitching appearances with 53, passing former teammate Wendell Rodriguez at 52 (2010-13).
 

 Also for NJCU, junior designated hitter Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) extended his hitting streak to 10, batting 2-for-5 with two runs (one RBI) and his program-record extending 35th career double. Sophomore third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) was 2-for-3 (run, walk), Giordano walked twice and freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) walked and scored twice.
 
Sophomore righty Mario Albunia (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) was by far NJCU's most effective pitcher. The fifth to take the mound, he tossed 2.1 no-hit innings, striking out two of the eight batters he faced (29 pitches).
 
For Stevens, senior right fielder Ryan Mannello (Staten Island, N.Y.) drove in three runs, including a two-run double in the first inning and was 2-for-3 while junior center fielder Jonathan Toro (Sanford, Fla.) produced a 2-for-3 day with two runs and two RBIs and junior second/first baseman Jayson Yano (Foothill Ranch, CA) generated three RBIs and scored twice.
 
Freshman third/second baseman Tommy Baronner (Solana Beach, CA) scored three times. Senior shortstop Marc Calleo (Bayville, NJ/Central Regional) chipped in a 2-for-5, two-run effort. Sophomore left fielder Michael Mule' (Boca Raton, FL) had two runs and two RBIs.
 
Sophomore left-hander Bret Viola (Carmel, N.Y.), who pitched for the Ducks after the long delay, won in relief (2-0), allowing two hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 2.0 shutout innings. Freshman lefty Andrew Hamel (Methuen, Mass.) pitched the final four innings with the game in hand, picking up his third save over 79 pitches (three runs, six hits, two strikeouts, two walks).
 
OF NOTE:

• Game originally scheduled for a May 4 away contest at Stevens, moved to NJCU.
• Michael Martucci with 187 hits in a program-record 140 games (140 starts) is nine hits behind the record-holder Rob Sumner (196 hits, 138 games, 2005-08). Martucci has scored 107 career runs (fifth in school history); he's six behind Rob Gonzalez (113 runs) for fourth place. His 595 career at bats are an all-time record and his 31 career doubles are second most in school history behind Niech.
• Alex Weinstein upped his career hits total to 146 in 139 games (136 starts), passing Sean Costello (1984-87, 143 hits) for sole possession of 10th place in school history. Weinstein upped his all-time defensive records for putouts (973) and total chances (1062). Weinstein now has 506 career at-bats (fifth all-time) and will move into second place behind Martucci (Rob Sumner, 512; Phil Zaffarano, 1994-97, 509; Nick Cucinello, 1990-93, 508) later this week.
• Weinstein also moved into the Top 10 in program history in career RBIs, jumping from 11th before the game to seventh with 84—passing Andrew Rivera (2010-13, 83), Ray Nazzaro (1982-85, 83) and Michael Fiorentino (2009-11, 82).
• Junior Andrew Niech upped his career hits total to 139 in 105 games for 13th place. The program all-time leader in doubles (35) has 48 hits this season (42 in 2013, 49 in 2014).

WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU begins its final weekday home-and-home New Jersey Athletic Conference series on Thursday against Stockton University (13-13, 5-9 NJAC) at 3:30 p.m. in Galloway, NJ.