JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | On a memorable Senior Day where senior third/first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) put exclamation marks on two incredible single-season records and he and teammate and junior designated hitter/catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) became the first players in program history to each post 60 hits in the same season, it was an old reliable senior pitcher and another unexpected senior hero that truly stole the show for New Jersey City University.
 
Straight out of a Hollywood script, senior right-handed pitcher Kevin DeMauro (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) threw a 174-pitch complete-game effort and senior right-handed pitcher Tom Colaiacovo, Jr. (Helmetta, NJ/Southern Regional), who entered the game as a second baseman, made his first plate appearance as a Gothic Knight his last—with a bases-loaded walkoff five-pitch walk as NJCU stunned Skyline Conference champion SUNY Old Westbury, 6-5, in non-conference action to close the 2015 season on May 5 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.



 

Senior Day Photo Gallery

Senior Day Broadcast Archive

Gothic Knight Insights: Post-Game Interview with Seniors and Coach Jerry Smith

Post-Game Aerial Water Bucket
NJCU trailed 5-2 entering the bottom of the eighth before scoring three times, all with two outs to tie it. Then in the ninth, Niech led off with a double for his program-record 40th of his career, 16th double of the season and 60th hit of the year. Senior  shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep), NJCU's new all-time leader in hits, dropped down a bunt single for the 199th of his career, beating the throw to first, and Weinstein, who earlier in the game notched his program-record 50th RBI of the season and record 21st and 22nd doubles, was intentionally walked.
 
And why not? Colaiacovo, an 18-appearance relief pitcher, who entered the game as a pinch runner for the first time in his only season as a Gothic Knight and later scored NJCU's first of three runs in the eighth inning, had never had a plate appearance for the program. Head coach Jerry Smith's decision to be loyal to his seniors paid dividends. Colaiacovo, a left-handed hitter, waited out three straight balls from Old Westbury rookie right-hander Vinny Bieniek (Mineola, NY), and on a 3-1 pitch, took ball four outside and trotted down to first base where he was mobbed by his teammates as Niech scored the winning run.

NJCU finished the season red-hot, winning its final four games to complete a 17-20 campaign. In the final week of the season, NJCU upended CUNYAC regular season champion Staten Island and Skyline regular season champion St. Joseph's (LI)—both on the road—and this victory over an excellent Old Westbury (25-10) squad that is going to the NCAA Division III Tournament.    

Things looked bleak for NJCU in the eighth after Martucci was robbed of a hit on a lineout to second and Weinstein struck out swinging on six pitches. But sophomore left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) walked with two outs and Colaiacovo entered the game as a pinch runner. It was the spark that led to three straight stolen bases, each followed by a single. Colaiacovo stole second and raced home on an RBI single to center by sophomore first baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin). Buchholz followed with a swipe of second and sophomore right fielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) lined a single to center, scoring Buchholz to make it a one-run game. Coutinho stole second and when rookie catcher Adam Feldman (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) singled to short on a high hop to keep the inning alive, the tying run moved to third. 

Sophomore second baseman Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), who earlier in the day was named to the D3baseball.com National Team of the Week—

the third Gothic Knight to achieve that distinction this year—punched the first pitch he saw through the right side to score Coutinho to knot it at 5-5, leading to the dramatic ninth. NJCU had four hits in the inning—all with two outs—before finally stranding two runners.
 
DeMauro threw a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning, including a pair of ground balls to Colaiacovo at second base where he was inserted defensively to start the frame.
 
DeMauro, who was making his program-record 55th career appearance (26th start), fired his third complete game of the season and sixth of his career while picking up his 11th career victory and 120th strikeout, finishing the season at 3-3. In the 9.0 innings he allowed two earned runs and 10 hits, striking out a career-high eight while walking 10, although two intentionally.
 
DeMauro was able to stranded 12 Panthers on base in the game. Twice with the bases loaded he coaxed inning-ending ground ball double plays to get out of the second and sixth innings, and with a runner on third in the seventh, coerced a soft lineout to Martucci at short.

Weinstein reached base four times, batting 2-for-3 with his 50th RBI, a run and two walks. Niech was 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk, Buchholz was 2-for-3 with a run, RBI and a walk and Ruscingno finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Buchholz and Coutinho each stole two bases as NJCU swiped eight in the win.  

Martucci's hit in his final career plate appearance gives him 199—so close to becoming the first to cross the 200-hit threshold—and extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 34. It will end as the third longest streak in NJCU history and sixth best on record in the New Jersey Athletic Conference's annals.  
 

 

Colaiacovo, left-handed pitcher Delio Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), DeMauro, catcher James Gardner (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep), Martucci and Weinstein were all honored in a pre-game senior ceremony. Delio Coutinho, who ranks No. 2 in school history in strikeouts (153), pinch hit and played center field. Gardner made his first start of the season and threw out a runner stealing at third.
 
For OW, senior right fielder Jacob Coners (Selden, NY) was 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk and sophomore shortstop Tommy Ziegen (Glen Cove, NY) drove in two runs and batted 2-for-3 with a run and walk. Junior left fielder Matthew Taurisani (Syosset, NY) and freshman catcher Peter Falgiano (Westbury, NY) walked twice and sophomore designated hitter Jack Schwartz (Bellmore, NY) had two hits.
 
The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Coners led off with a single and Taurisani walked before Coners was thrown out stealing third by Gardner. That throw saved a run because sophomore first baseman Dean Sheridan (Huntingdon, NY) followed with an RBI single to center.
 
OW added two unearned runs in the third, with an RBI double by Ziegen and an RBI single by Schwartz making it 3-0 after the inning was extended. OW made it 4-0 when Coners, who led off with a ground rule double, scored on an RBI single by senior center fielder Jonathan Pagan (Westbury, NY).
 
Weinstein got NJCU on the board in the bottom of the fourth when he led off with a double before later scoring on a throwing error. The Knights added a run in the sixth to make it 4-2 when Weinstein ripped another double to left center, scoring Niech who had walked. OW pushed the lead to 5-2 in the top of the eighth as Coners, who walked, later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ziegen after an error.
 
OF NOTE:

• Kevin DeMauro's eight strikeouts were a career high, matching eight he threw in a complete game against Mount Saint Mary on March 25, 2014. He picked off his 11th career runner in the game to extend his own program record. He finished his career third in innings pitched (211.2), fifth in starts, tied for sixth in wins and ninth in strikeouts.
• Michael Martucci finished his career as NJCU's all-time leader in hits (199), games played (147), games started (147), and at bats (624), second in doubles (35) and tied for fourth with 115 runs. He ends his career with an active 13-game hitting streak.
• Alex Weinstein finished the year with single-season records for RBIs (50) and doubles (22) while his 64 hits are the second most of all-time. The previous records for RBIs was 48 in 1988 (Rich Levens) and doubles was 17 in 1993 (Paul Grasso). He ends his career with an active 11-game hitting streak.
• Weinstein finished his career with 161 hits for fifth place in school history, passing Hall of Famer Rich Levens in the win. Additionally, his 29 doubles are third all-time, matching the previous record which was broken by Niech and Martucci this year. He is third all-time with 97 RBIs, ranks second in games played (146) and started (143) and defensively is NJCU's all-time leader in putouts (984) and total chances (1095).
• Andrew Niech ends his junior season with 151 career hits in 112 games, eclipsing 150 hits in the win. He is ninth in school history and will need 48 hits as a senior to match Martucci's program record of 199. He also enters his senior season with a record 40 doubles and also 80 runs and 67 RBIs. His 43 runs scored this season were fifth most in single-season history and three shy of the mark of 46.
• With 60 hits, Niech is one of just four players, including Weinstein, to have posted 60 hits in a season for NJCU.
• Zach Buchholz ends the season with an active 17-game on-base streak.
• Eric Giordano ends the season with an active 12-game on-base streak. He has 91 hits in 74 career games.
• Dmitri Rueger ends the season with an active 10-game on-base streak. He scored 42 runs and had 28 stolen bases.