JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior left-hander Delio Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) struck out 12 batters in his first career complete-game—the third time this season he's fanned 10 or more batters in a game and the only known player in Gothic Knight history to do so four times in a career—while freshman left fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) ripped a two-out, two-run go-ahead double to center in the bottom of the eighth as NJCU defeated Richard Stockton College, 4-2, in the opening game of a two-day New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball home-and-home series on April 10 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
On a day where NJCU (9-12, 3-4 NJAC) stranded 12 men on base but got the timely hit it needed late, the win over Stockton (13-10, 3-4 NJAC) is key. Seven games into the 18-game conference schedule, all 10 teams in the NJAC have at least three league wins and the bottom five teams in the standings—including #6/7 ranked Kean and NJCU—are all in a virtual tie for the sixth place berth in the post-season field.
Coutinho, who entered the day as the NJAC strikeout leader with 47 in 32.2 innings while ranking 10th in Division III in strikeouts per game, upped those totals with 59 K's in 41.2 innings while closing in on 100 strikeouts in his brief career.
Coutinho, who also has performances of 14 and 10 strikeouts this season, struck out eight batters in the first four innings of the game including the first five recorded outs. In the complete game victory (3-1)—his first career conference win—nine of his 12 strikeouts were swinging, as he scattered seven singles and allowed one earned run (two total) with five walks while notching 10 fly outs and four grounders.
Meanwhile Giordano, who came up with the bases loaded in the fourth only to rip a sharp line drive to center to end the threat, and again came to the plate in the sixth inning with two men on and two outs before grounding out, made the most of his third opportunity.
With one out, junior third baseman Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) singled, rookie second baseman Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) reached on an error and both men advanced on a groundout by sophomore catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) before Giordano put NJCU in front with a two-run single on 2-2 pitch to center.
Giordano finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double for his 12th multiple-hit game of the season, Martucci was 2-for-5 with two runs and Niech reached base four times, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks.
Also for NJCU, junior first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin) was on base four times, batting 2-for-2 with two walks and junior center fielder Matthew Wagner (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) went 2-for-4.