New Jersey City University Athletics

JERSEY CITY, NJ…New Jersey City University sophomore right-handed pitcher and first baseman LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) fired a complete-game three-hit shutout in game two and freshman second baseman DANIELLE DELFINO (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) was a combined 4-for-7 with two RBIs, two runs, three doubles and two steals as the Gothic Knights swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from Rutgers-Newark, 3-1 and 4-0, on Saturday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

 

NJCU, winners of three straight, improves to 13-13 overall and 4-6 in the NJAC, to remain in contention for both conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament contention. NJCU has now won four consecutive games over the Scarlet Raiders (4-26, 0-10 NJAC), and lead the all-time series, 28-27.

 

Delfino continues to chase the single-season school record of 41 steals. She now has 26 in 26 games.

 

***********GAME 1: New Jersey City University 3, Rutgers-Newark 1***********

NJCU junior right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary’s-Rutherford) allowed just five hits in seven innings, with one earned run, one strikeout and one walk to win her fourth game of the year (4-9).

 

DANIELLE DELFINO" src="/images/softball/2008/4/15/03-26-08%20Danielle%20Delfino%2038.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Delfino was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two doubles, while senior shortstop SUSIE MATSUTANI (Gallup, NM/Gallup) extended her career school record for triples to 13. Newark did not have a player with multiple hits.

 

Newark took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by senior shortstop Charlotte Labate (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield), before NJCU answered with two runs in the second frame on a two-run double by Delfino.

 

NJCU added an insurance run in the third when Matsutani led off with her triple and scored on an RBI single by sophomore third baseman CHRISTEN HALL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional).

 

After Newark had three hits in the first inning and two in the second, Delucrezia shut the Raiders down over the next five innings, retiring 14 consecutive batters before a seventh inning walk. R-N did not have a hit after the second inning.

 

Newark junior Carrie McGuire (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) took the loss (1-8). She was charged with three runs and seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

 

***********GAME 2: New Jersey City University 4, Rutgers-Newark 0***********

Skowronski, who improved to 7-4 with the win, tossed her second complete-game shutout of the year. It was the fourth time this year she has pitched at least two innings in a game without allowing an earned run. She struck out five and walked none. She retired the first 12 batters of the game before Labate led off the fifth with a single.

 

Delfino was 2-for-4 with two runs and two steals as the Knights picked off five bases overall. Freshman leftfielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) was 2-for-3 with one run. Matsutani was 1-for-4 with two RBIs while Skowronski, as a batter, walked twice.

 

NJCU, the away team in game two by conference rule, scored immediately to start the game, as Delfino continued to manufacture runs. She led off with a bunt single, stole second and third and scored on an RBI groundout by Matsutani.

 

NJCU tacked on two more runs in the third. After Gomez singled and moved to third on Delfino’s third double in five at-bats during the twinbill, sophomore centerfielder TARA PERRUCCI (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) had an RBI groundout to score Gomez. Another productive groundout by Matsutani drove in Delfino for a 3-0 margin. NJCU added a final run in the fifth when Perrucci doubled to left field and scored on a ground ball.

 

Newark senior righty Jess Murray (Union Beach, NJ/Red Bank Regional) suffered the loss (1-10), allowing four runs on seven hits, with three walks and one K.

 

NJCU is back in action on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 3 p.m. when it visits #12 ranked Montclair State University (26-2, 10-0 NJAC) in an NJAC doubleheader in Little Falls, NJ.