NEWARK, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University trailed Rutgers-Newark 6-1 after five innings and 7-5 through seven before the Gothic Knights scored four times in the eighth inning and added two more in the ninth to pull in front 11-7. That set up drama in the bottom of the ninth after the Scarlet Raiders scored two unearned runs and with two outs had the tying runs in scoring position. But NJCU called upon its ace, senior left-hander Delio Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), who entered the game for a three-pitch strikeout save as the Gothic Knights won for the third consecutive day, 11-9, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on April 2 at Riverfront Stadium.
NJCU (6-7, 1-2 NJAC) wins its third straight game in an early season comprised of a plethora of postponements and streaks of three losses followed by three wins and then four losses, leading up to the current three-game surge. After the first game of the two-day NJAC home-and-home series, the Scarlet Raiders fell to 7-11 (0-3 NJAC). The game lasted 3:47. NJCU outhit the Raiders, 16-8; each squad stranded 12 runners on base. NJCU used nine pitchers in the game.
NJCU has scored in double figures in all six wins this season—a combined 84 runs in its victories. Meanwhile the Gothic Knights totaled only 23 runs in their seven losses.
Sophomore right fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) had a key two-run single as part of the eighth-inning rally and finished the game with three RBIs (1-for-5, walk, run). In doing so, he extended his two-year on-base streak to 27 consecutive games and his hitting streak to 11 straight, while hitting safely for the 12th time in 13 games this season.
Junior catcher Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) was 4-for-5 with three runs (walk, RBI) and senior third basemanMichael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) continued to climb the all-time hits list with three more (3-for-4, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 1 run), giving him 164 hits in 123 games while pushing his hit streak to 10 games.
READ MORE: http://www.njcugothicknights.com/news/2015/4/2/04-02-15_BASEBALL_at_Rutgers-Newark.aspx