JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Three weeks ago, New Jersey City University freshman left-handed pitcher Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) made a memorable New Jersey Athletic Conference starting debut when he shutout 30th ranked and second-place Rowan University for eight innings on April 4. His second career victory was impressive in its own right. Ramirez hurled his first career complete-game effort, allowing just one run and seven hits as NJCU defeated Stockton University, 5-1, in game two of a two-day NJAC home-and-home series on April 24 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

Gothic Knight Insights: Post-Game Interview with Mike Ramirez
 
NJCU scored three times in the first inning and that was enough as it snapped a four-game losing streak, upping its mark to 13-19 (5-11 NJAC) while Stockton fell to 14-14 (6-10 NJAC) and had its NJAC Tournament hopes seriously jeopardized. The Gothic Knights added single runs in the fourth and seventh; Stockton's lone run came in the seventh.
 
Ramirez (2-3) allowed one earned run and six of the seven hits were singles as he struck out four and walked five over 134 pitches. Ramirez did not give up a hit until one out in the fourth inning before picking off the runner.
 
Senior Alex Weinstein (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin), normally NJCU's starting first baseman, made his second career start at third base where he played well, making several strong throws across the diamond, and continued to amass one of the great individual offensive years in program history. Weinstein had three hits in a game for the third consecutive day and posted his sixth consecutive multi-hit effort, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Weinstein surpassed the 150-hit mark for his career (152) and now has 55 hits in 32 games, including a single-season school-record 19 doubles.
 
Senior shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) was 1-for-3 with a run and extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 29 while notching his 190th career hits—now six shy of matching the career program standard (196).
 
Sophomore left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, N.J./JFK-Iselin) drove in a pair of runs (1-for-4) and junior catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) scored twice, batting 1-for-3 with a walk. His hit was the 50th of the season. Freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) stole two bases.
 
Stockton senior left fielder Keith Tappert (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) was 2-for-4 with a run and senior shortstop Mark Jankowski (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) also batted 2-for-4 with a double. Senior third baseman Brett Solomen (Harrison Township, NJ/Clearview) and senior right fielder George Eisenhart (Harrison Township, NJ/Clearview) each had a hit to reach base in 28 straight games.
 
Sophomore righty Dylan Warburton (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) lost (2-3) for Stockton, allowing five runs and seven hits in 7.0 innings, walking and striking out five on 124 pitches. Senior righty Jason Fox (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) struck out two (one walk) in an inning of relief.
 
SCORING GLANCES:
NJCU moved in front quickly in the bottom of the first. Rueger and Niech led off with walks and Martucci deposited his 190th career hit into right field before Weinstein singled through the right side for a 1-0 lead. After a Giordano groundout plated Niech,
sophomore infielder Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin), making his first start of the year at first base, singled through the right side for a 3-0 lead, bringing home Martucci.
 
NJCU added a run in the fourth as sophomore Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) walked, stole second and scored after back-to-back sacrifice bunts, including a squeeze bunt at the plate by sophomore second baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield).
 
Stockton got on the board in the top of the seventh. Tappert reached on an infield single before coming home on a single to left by senior first baseman Erik Danser (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Stockton would load the bases with two outs before Ramirez got reserve junior second baseman Vaughn Champion (Galloway, NJ/Absegami), who entered defensively for an injured Matt Mangarella (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood), to foul out to Weinstein at third.
 
NJCU got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Niech singled with one out, moved to second on a walk to Martucci and then slid home safely after an RBI single through the left side by  Giordano for a 5-1 edge.
 
In the eighth, Solomen and Eisenhart led off by slipping singles through the left side. Jankowski hit a long fly ball single over the head of the left fielder, aided by the wind, but the runners had to hold up because it appeared it had a chance to be caught. With the bases loaded and one out, the tying run came to the plate but Ramirez got a shallow line drive to right that did not allow Solomen to tag and Ramirez got out of the inning by striking out backup catcher Stephen Struble (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) on a nasty 2-2 pitch.
 
Ramirez finished it off in the ninth. He went airborne to haul in a high chopper back to the mound and sealed the game with two ground balls to short sandwiched around a walk.

 
OF NOTE:

• Michael Martucci with 190 hits in a program-record 142 games (142 starts) is six hits behind the record-holder Rob Sumner (196 hits, 138 games, 2005-08). Martucci has scored 109 career runs (fifth in school history); he's four behind Rob Gonzalez (113 runs) for fourth place. He has a program record 603 career at bats and his 32 career doubles are second most in school history behind Niech.
• Alex Weinstein upped his career hits total to 152 in 141 games (138 starts), passing Jonathan Thomas (2001-04, 149) hits) on the all-time list for sole possession of eighth place. Next up: Dave Long (1987-90, 154 hits) and Nick Cucinello (1990-93, 148 hits). Weinstein upped his all-time defensive records for putouts (978) and total chances (1071). Weinstein now has 515 career at-bats (third all-time) passing Sumner (512 at bats) for second place in school history, behind only Marucci.
• Junior Andrew Niech upped his career hits total to 141 in 107 games, tying Brian Veneziano (1997-00) and Michael Fiorentino (2009-11) for 12th place all time at 141 hits. The program all-time leader in doubles (35) has a career-high 50 hits this season (42 in 2013, 49 in 2014).
• Taylor Born was hit by a pitch for the 20th time in his career in the second inning. Only a sophomore, it is already one shy of matching the all-time record by Paul Krajewski (1992-94, 21).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU closes the NJAC portion of its schedule on Saturday, April 25 when it faces William Paterson University (19-13, 5-11 NJAC, lost 2) in an 11:30 a.m. NJAC doubleheader at Jeff Albies Field in Wayne.