New Jersey City University Athletics

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary’s-Rutherford) tossed a three-hitter in game one, but New Jersey City University collected only eight hits in two games and dropped a non-conference doubleheader from Drew University, 2-0 and 5-2, on Wednesday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. It was NJCU’s 2008 home opener.

 

Drew improved to 11-9 overall by winning its fifth straight game overall while NJCU drops to 5-7. The Rangers have won the last 10 meetings in the series which began in 2001, and own a 10-2 margin in the rivalry. The last four games between the clubs have been decided by a combined 10 runs.

Drew junior righty Lauren Collini (Dallas, PA/Dallas) fired a shutout in game one, striking out eight with one walk and four hits.

 

**************GAME 1: Drew University 2, New Jersey City University 0**************

Collini and Delucrezia had a duel in game one, with neither school having a hit until Drew posted two in the fourth inning when scoring its first run. Collini had a perfect game brewing in the fifth inning before NJCU collected its first hit. The Knights stranded the bases loaded in the fifth—its best scoring chance of the game. Delucrezia finished with six strikeouts and just one walk while allowing three hits and one earned run.

 

Sophomore third baseman CHRISTEN HALL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) was the only player for either school with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double.

 

Drew scored in the top of the fourth on an RBI double by senior centerfielder Nicole Gagliardi (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Borough). The Rangers added one unearned run in the sixth inning when NJCU committed two of its three errors.

 

After leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and one runner on in the sixth, Hall led off the seventh with a double and advanced to third with one out, before Collini retired the final two batters.

 

**************GAME 2: Drew University 5, New Jersey City University 2**************

In game two, Drew scored four times when nine batters came to the plate in the top of the first inning and held off several rally attempts by NJCU to win by three. Drew stranded 10 runners on base; NJCU left eight on.

 

Sophomore righty April Jacobs (North Bergen, NJ/High Tech) earned the win (4-1), despite walking six. In 7.0 innings, she allowed four hits, one earned run and fanned three. Despite settling down after the first inning, sophomore right-hander LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) suffered her first loss of the year (4-1). She was charged with five runs and nine hits, walking and striking out four.

 

Senior shortstop Kerry Crowley (Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills) and junior second baseman Cailin McGrorry (Avon, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) each went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Gagliardi was 2-for-4 with two runs and sophomore leftfielder Jesyka Marko (Winfield, NJ/David Brearley) was 2-for-2. Hall was 1-for-2 with an RBI for the Knights.

 

Drew took the lead for good with one out in the first when Crowley lofted her fifth homerun of the season to left field. McGrorry chipped in a two-out, two-run single to right field.

 

NJCU scored single runs in the second and third innings to draw within 4-2. Skowronski walked to lead off the second frame, and later scored on an error, before NJCU stranded two in the inning. Hall had an RBI single in the third, but the Knights against left two runners on.

 

The Rangers, who stranded two runners in the first, third and fifth innings, and the bases loaded in the seventh, took a 5-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Marko, which scored Gagliardi.

 

NJCU’s best chance came in the fourth when two runners walked to load the bases with two outs, but the Knights weren’t able to produce a run.

 

NJCU returns to action on Thursday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. against Lehman College in Bronx, NY. Drew next plays on March 29 in a Landmark Conference twinbill with Catholic University.