GALLOWAY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University baseball team outhit Stockton University, 18-11 and after falling behind 9-5, pulled within one with three runs in the seventh. But the Ospreys overcame six errors, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh and held off the Gothic Knights, 11-9, in the opener of a two-day New Jersey Athletic Conference home-and-home series on April 23.
 
Stockton (14-13, 6-9 NJAC) kept alive its NJAC Tournament hopes with the win while NJCU (12-19, 4-11 NJAC) dropped its fourth game in a row. Despite owning wins over first-place Rutgers-Camden and second-place Rowan, NJCU was eliminated from NJAC Tournament contention with the loss.
 
The loss spoiled big offensive days for several NJCU players. Freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) was 4-for-6 (run, RBI) in the leadoff spot and senior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) went over 50 hits on the season (52 in 31 games) and climbed into eighth place in career hits (149), batting 3-for-5 with a run, RBI and walk.
 
Senior shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) moved even closer to the career program record for hits (196), notching the 188th and 189th of his career, and his 32nd double, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs, while extending his consecutive games on-base streak to 28.
 
Sophomore left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, N.J./JFK-Iselin) also had three hits (3-for-6, run) and sophomore second baseman Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) had a pair of hits (2-for-6) while junior catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) scored twice and sophomore third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) drove in two runs.
 
For Stockton, second baseman Matt Mangarella reached base five times—three walks and three runs scored while batting 2-for-2. Right fielder George Eisenhart was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while first baseman Erik Danser knocked in two runs in a 2-for-4 day.
 
The Ospreys centerfielder Dan Sweeney walked and scored twice and third baseman Brett Solomen was 3-for-5 with three runs (one RBI). Left fielder Keith Tappert (two RBIs, two walks) and shortstop Mark Jankowski (two RBIs) also contributed.

NJCU gave up double digit runs for the fourth game in a row (64 runs) and the sixth time in seven games.
 
Mike Bergin won for Stockton (3-2) despite allowing five runs (three earned) and 12 hits. He struck out four and walked two in 6.0 innings. Blaze Gaspari picked up his third save, striking out two against a hit and walk in the ninth inning.  
 
Senior left-hander Delio Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) took the loss in 5.0 innings. He was wild (eight walks) but with four strikeouts, eclipsed the 150 mark (153) for his career—second most in school history.
 
SCORING GLANCES:
NJCU scored three times in the top of the first, aided by two Stockton errors after three consecutive hits by Niech, Martucci and Weinstein. Stockton got one back in the bottom of the inning before unleashing five runs in the bottom of the third. A two-run double to right center by Tappert tied the game and put Stockton in front for good and a sacrifice fly by Danser  and RBI single by designated hitter Bryan DiPaola pushed the lead to 6-3.
 
Each team scored twice in the fourth—a two-run double by Martucci cut the deficit to 6-5 before Stockton answered with two in the bottom of the inning on a Jankowski sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Danser before adding another run in the sixth.
 
In the seventh, NJCU had three runs on four hits, aided by a pair of Stockton errors; RBI singles by Buchholz and Rueger made it 9-7 before a bases-loaded error trimmed the deficit to one.
 
But in the bottom of the seventh, Eisenhart deposited a two-out, two-run double to left center, scoring Mangarella who walked and Solomen who singled and NJCU could only gain one further run in the eighth.
 
OF NOTE:

• Michael Martucci with 189 hits in a program-record 141 games (141 starts) is seven hits behind the record-holder Rob Sumner (196 hits, 138 games, 2005-08). Martucci has scored 108 career runs (fifth in school history); he's five behind Rob Gonzalez (113 runs) for fourth place. He had exactly 600 career at bats (an all-time record) and his 32 career doubles are second most in school history behind Niech.
• Alex Weinstein upped his career hits total to 149 in 140 games (137 starts), passing Charlie Auletto (1993-95, 148 hits) and equaling Jonathan Thomas (2001-04, 149) hits for eighth place. Weinstein upped his all-time defensive records for putouts (977) and total chances (1067). Weinstein now has 511 career at-bats (third all-time) behind Martucci and Sumner (512). He passed Phil Zaffarano (1994-97, 509) and Nick Cucinello (1990-93, 508) on the all-time list.
• Junior Andrew Niech upped his career hits total to 140 in 106 games for 13th place. The program all-time leader in doubles (35) has 49 hits this season (42 in 2013, 49 in 2014).
• Delio Coutinho's 153 strikeouts are second only to Hall-of-Famer Jack Nagurka's 196 (1983, 1985-86).

WHAT'S NEXT?
The clubs play game two of the series on Friday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.