Archived broadcast of NJCU's 12-2 win over Lesley University in Winter Haven, FL on March 13, 2012. Play-by-play announcer: Ira Thor Broadcast begins at the 29:50 mark Sophomore left-hander Zack Markle (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) allowed just two hits in 4.2 innings of relief to claim his first collegiate victory and four different Gothic Knights collected two RBIs as the New Jersey City University baseball team scored nine times in the sixth inning and rolled past Lesley University, 12-2, in a game called after seven innings on day four of the 2012 spring baseball trip played at Chain of Lakes Park Field #5 on Tuesday morning. NJCU improved to 3-2 overall and 3-1 on its eight-day stay at the Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational. NJCU also won back-to-back games for the first time this year with the win over the Lynx. It was NJCU's first-ever meeting with Lesley (1-4). While NJCU scored nine unearned runs off of four Lesley errors, the Knight's pitching staff continues to perform, now with a .204 opposing batting average and an overall ERA of 2.30 after five games. First-year head coach Jerry Smith said: "I'm happy with the way the boys are playing and it's all about getting better each day and I think we're doing that. I think we have a long way to go. But I think since game one when we opened up with Centenary until now we're a much better team already and that's only been about a week's work. If we continue to progress how we are, I think by season's end we'll be a much better team." Markle, who made 11 appearances in relief as a rookie in 2011 without a decision, and never threw more than 2.0 innings, more than doubled that length as a middle reliever on Tuesday. In 4.2 innings, he tossed only 52 pitches, allowing a pair of singles with one walk. First year NJCU pitching coach Nick Cesare discussed Markle's performance by saying: "We tell our relievers that they have to come into the game ready to throw strikes. We ask that they're ready, knowing that there's going to be men on base when they come in. He did walk the first guy and walk a run in but after that he settled in, pounded the zone, attacked hitters, and that's all we can ask for out of our relief pitchers." Sophomore transfer Ryan Mitchell (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) made his first appearance as a Gothic Knight, throwing the final two-thirds of an inning, striking out one batter over five pitches. Junior righty Alvin Carrasco (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) started for the Knights but was wild, walking five, hitting one batter and throwing a pair of wild pitches. He only allowed one hit but both runs in 1.2 innings before being relieved by Markle. Offensively, freshman first baseman Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/JFK-Iselin), junior left fielder Andrew Rivera (Edison, NJ/Edison), freshman third baseman Juan Cruz (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)) and sophomore second baseman Rob Roman (Hoboken, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) each produced two RBIs in the win. Rivera was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run and a double while Weinstein had a pair of sacrifice flies to generate runs, and scored once. Roman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. Cruz had a two-run single during the nine-run sixth for his first collegiate hit and also scored once. Also for NJCU, junior catcher Ryan Winters (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) came in as a pinch hitter and finished batting 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Winters tied a school record with two hits in the sixth inning. Freshman shortstop Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) and junior center fielder Michael Patterson (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) each scored twice and had one hit in the one-two spot in the lineup.

• published: 21 Mar 2012
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