New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Kean University tied game one with a leadoff homerun in the top of the seventh by senior centerfielder Katy McManus (Edison, NJ/Edison) before forcing home seven runs in extra innings, and won game two in the bottom of the seventh on a walk-off single from sophomore second baseman Sara Steinman (Springfield, NJ/Jonathan Dayton) as the Cougars swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from New Jersey City University, 8-1 in eight innings and 4-3, Tuesday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

 

With the wins, Kean improved to 15-3 overall and 3-1 in the league while the Knights fell to 4-14 and 0-4 NJAC.

 

Kean sophomore right-hander Maryelise Gierke (Glen Gardner, NJ/Voorhees) won both games of the twinbill—including game two in relief—to improve to 10-0 overall.

 

***********************GAME 1: Kean University 8, NJCU 1 (8 innings) *********************

In game one, NJCU junior shortstop SUSIE MATSUTANI (Gallup, NM/Gallup) gave the Knights a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the third. That stood up until the top of the seventh when McManus lifted a 2-1 pitch deep to center for her second homerun of the season.

               

But Kean scored seven times in the top of the eighth inning when 12 batters came to the plate. Junior third baseman Kara Schultz (Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon) put the Cougars ahead to stay with bases-loaded two-run single. NJCU committed two errors in the inning.

               

Gierke tossed a complete-game one-hitter, striking out seven and walking three over 116 pitches. She faced her first loss of the season before the comeback. Sophomore right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary’s-Rutherford) had a three-hit shutout going until the homerun in the seventh. She took the loss (2-7), allowing three earned runs and seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.  

McManus was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while junior first baseman Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) added a 2-for-4 showing with two doubles and one run. Steinman was 2-for-4 with one run and Schultz had two RBIs in a 1-for-4 outing.

 

***********************GAME 2: Kean University 4, NJCU 3*********************

Game two featured three lead changes. Freshman right-hander REANNON TROGDON (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional) gave herself a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the top of the first inning and made that lead standup as she was brilliant for most of the game. Trogdon who tossed a no-hitter earlier in the season, held the Cougars hitless until Schultz led off the sixth with a bloop single.

               

Kean would score three times on five hits in the fifth to gain a 3-1 advantage. After a Kean double, Hicks put the Cougars in front, 2-1, with a two-RBI single up the middle. She later scored Kean’s third run on a throwing error by the Knights.

               

The young, gritty Knights battled back, as Trogdon lifted a sixth-inning sacrifice fly to score freshman first baseman TARA PERRUCCI (Wallington, NJ/Wallington), cutting the deficit to 3-2.

               

In the top of the seventh, freshman centerfielder CHRISTINA PROSPERO (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) led off with a single and moved to third on NJCU’s next two outs. With NJCU down to its final strike, Perrucci lifted a 3-2 pitch to center for a game-tying single and a 3-3 score.

               

But in the bottom of the seventh, junior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) led off with a single, advanced to third on a sacrifice and passed ball, and scored when Steinman drove a game-winning single to right.

               

Freshman rightfielder Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) was Kean’s lone player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with one run, while Hicks provided two RBIs.

 

Perrucci was NJCU’s only player with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI in the second slot in the batting order—moving up from sixth in game one. Trogdon was 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

 

Gierke did not start the second game, but entered in the second inning with Kean trailing 1-0. She earned the win, tossing 6.0 innings of work. She allowed two runs (two earned) and three hits, with eight strikeouts and two walks. Trogdon took the hard luck loss (2-7), despite allowing just three earned runs (four total) and nine hits with four Ks and two walks. Eight of Kean’s hits were singles.

               

NJCU returns to action on Thursday, April 5 at 3 p.m. when it hosts Baruch College in a non-conference doubleheader. Kean visits FDU-Florham on April 4 in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.