New Jersey City University Athletics

WAYNE, NJ…New Jersey City University scored two runs in the third inning on a double by sophomore first baseman/pitcher LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) and added two more in the fourth, and sophomore centerfielder TARA PERRUCCI (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) gunned down the potential game-tying run at the plate to end the game, as the Gothic Knights defeated William Paterson University in softball for the first time in 19 years, winning game two of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader, 4-3, at Pioneer Field. WPU scored four unearned runs in the third inning of game one en route to a 5-0 win.

 

By splitting the doubleheader, NJCU is 11-13 overall and 2-6 in the league, while the Pioneers drop to 14-10, 4-4 NJAC.

 

When NJCU won the second game, it snapped the Pioneers’ 15-game winning streak in the series which began in 1985, and marked only the second win in 25 games ever for the Knights over the long-time NJAC power Pioneers, who have won three conference titles since 1999. It was NJCU’s first victory over WPU since a 2-1 win in Wayne on May 5, 1989 when then Jersey City State College edged then William Paterson College.

 

NJCU freshman second baseman DANIELLE DELFINO (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) stole three bases in the doubleheader, including two in the nightcap when she scored twice, giving her 24 steals in 24 games.

 

***********GAME 2: New Jersey City University 4, William Paterson University 3***********

NJCU was outhit 10-4 in game two, but made the most of its opportunities. Skowronski was 1-for-3 with a two-run double and sophomore third baseman #CHRISTEN HALL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) added a 2-for-3 effort. Senior shortstop SUSIE MATSUTANI (Gallup, NM/Gallup) was 1-for-2 with one run, while Delfino scored twice.

 

Skowronski, who started the game at first, pitched the final 4.0 innings, allowing no earned runs and eight hits, with one strikeout and three walks.

 

WPU junior leftfielder Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) was the only Pioneer with multiple hits, going 3-for-4 with one RBI. Freshman right-hander Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) took the loss (3-4), allowing two earned runs and four hits, with three walks and two Ks.

 

NJCU jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning as the Knights were the home team in the second game by NJAC rule. Delfino was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second, and with two outs, Matsutani, the NJAC Player of the Week on March 31, was intentionally walked. Skowronski took advance of the speed on the base paths, lifting a two-run double to left center.

 

NJCU committed two errors in the top of the fourth, as the Pioneers responded with three runs for a 3-2 lead. Freshman rightfielder Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) had an RBI single, before a throwing error allowed a second run to cross. Reilly’s two-out RBI single put the Pioneers ahead.

 

But with two outs and none on in the bottom of the fourth, NJCU took advance of an error off the bat of freshman leftfielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), who subsequently stole second before advancing on a wild pitch. Delfino drew a walk and stole second, and after Perrucci kept the inning alive with another walk to load the bases, another error put the Knights back in front. Matsutani reached base on an error, Gomez scored the tying run, and Delfino never stopped running. Delfino’s heads-up base running allowed her to score the go-ahead run all the way from second base.

 

From there, Skowronski was effective on the mound and her defense backed her up. WPU had two hits in the fifth but did not score, with a lead runner being thrown out at third. Matsutani turned a sixth-inning ground ball by Reilly into a double play to prevent any damage. In the seventh, Skowronski retired the first two batters before allowing three straight singles to load the bases. With the game on the line, Vitale singled to center field and sophomore centerfielder Christina Zippler (Blackwood, NJ/Washington Township) tried to score the tying run from second base. But Perrucci fired a perfect strike to NJCU freshman catcher TAYLOR LANG (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), who applied the tag to end the game.

 

***********GAME 1: William Paterson University 5, New Jersey City University 0***********

In game one, WPU senior righty Diana Schraer (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) tossed a seven-inning two-hit shutout—the 20^th shutout of her career—striking out three with two walks to improve to 8-3. NJCU junior right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary’s-Rutherford) was a hard-luck loser. In six innings, she allowed only one earned run, with nine hits against. She struck out three and walked only one.

 

Freshman leftfielder Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, NJ/Middletown North) was 1-for-2 with three RBIs and Reilly, who was a combined 5-for-8 in the two games, went 2-for-4. Freshman first baseman Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, NJ/Eastern) was 2-for-3.

 

WPU scored its lone earned run in the bottom of the second as Nadolny had an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead.

 

The Pioneers scored four times in the third inning on just three hits as NJCU committed two errors. A bases loaded fly ball by Zippler which should have been the third out became a sacrifice fly, and Nadolny followed with a two-run triple to right center for a 4-0 lead. Gaynor capped the inning with an RBI double. Delfino and Matsutani accounted for NJCU’s two hits in the loss.

 

NJCU is back in action on Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m. when it hosts Rutgers-Newark in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.