New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE (Game 1)
BOX SCORE (Game 2)
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Senior designated player/right-handed pitcher LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) had never been a leadoff hitter for New Jersey City University in the first 110 games of her Gothic Knight career. But the decision by head coach BRIDGETTE QUIMPO to bat the power-hitting utility player at the top of the lineup, resulted in a win on Thursday. Skowronski was a combined 4-for-9 in two games and had a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to plate the winning run in extra innings as the Gothic Knights rallied for a 6-5 non-conference victory over the College of Staten Island in game two of a doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. In game one, CSI opened a 3-0 lead and held on for a 3-2 win. NJCU outhit the Dolphins in both games and a combined 22-11 in the twinbill.

 

CSI is 17-11 overall and NJCU is 15-19. In the third and fourth meetings of the year between NJCU and CSI in the 'Bayonne Bridge Series' and the ninth contest between the schools in the last three years, the schools split the season series, 2-2. On March 23, CSI took the opener 7-2 before NJCU claimed game two, 4-3, also on a walk-off play.

 

It was the second time in her three-year career that Skowronski had a walk-off hit to beat the Dolphins. Her three-run homerun with two outs in the bottom of the seventh on April 26, 2007 also proved to be a game-winner.

Skowronski and senior third baseman CHRISTEN HALL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) now have 98 career hits each and are tied for ninth in school history. Only seven players in program history have recorded 100 career hits. Freshman shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) was a combined 5-for-8 in the two games.

 

Senior right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary's-Rutherford) was the winning pitcher in game two, tossing her 64^th career complete game to become NJCU's all-time leader. She passed NJCU Hall-of-Fame pitcher Karen Masters (63, 1998-01), on the career list.

 

**************GAME 1: College of Staten Island 3, New Jersey City University 2**************

In game one, NJCU outhit CSI, 10-4, but scored runs in the second, third and fifth innings, and held off an NJCU surge to win by one. It was NJCU's fourth loss by one run this year. The Knights have dropped six games by two or fewer runs and seven by three or less.

 

Senior second baseman Nicole Estrada (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearny) was the offensive standout for the Dolphins, going 2-for-3 with two runs, her third homerun and eighth double of the year.

 

Skowronski was 2-for-4 with one run and junior left fielder TARA PERRUCCI (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) finished 2-for-3 with one run. Ginter had a 2-for-4 outing.

 

Skowronski took a tough loss (8-10), allowing just four hits, but three went for extra bases. She allowed two earned runs with two strikeouts and one walk.

 

Freshman pitcher Danielle Ponsiglione (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) won, improving to 9-5. She allowed two runs (one earned) and 10 hits, struck out two and walked none.

 

In the second inning, Ponsiglione hit a fly ball to left that should have ended the inning, but was dropped. Sophomore first baseman Joanna Tepedino (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea), who walked, scored on the error. In the third inning, Estrada doubled with one out and came home on an RBI double by sophomore shortstop Raechel Strobel (Staten Island, NY/Curtis). Estrada led off the sixth inning with a solo homerun to left field for a 3-0 lead.

 

NJCU failed to score in the third inning when it loaded the bases with three consecutive singles by sophomore right fielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), sophomore second baseman #DANIELLE DELFINO3 (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) and Ginter, before Ponsiglione forced Skowronski and Hall to pop out.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, Skowronski, who batted third in the opening game, led off with her 26^th career double, and moved to third on a Perrucci single. Junior first baseman CHRISTINA PROSPERO (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) drove in Skowronski with a sac fly and Perrucci, who stole second, scored on a dropped fly in left that would have been the third out of the inning. But trailing 3-2, NJCU couldn't push across a third run and dropped a one-run decision.

 

*****GAME 2: New Jersey City University 6, College of Staten Island 5 (8 innings)*****

In the nightcap, NJCU opened a 4-2 lead with three runs in the fourth, only to see CSI tie it with two runs in the sixth. Neither team could score in the seventh, so the tiebreaker rule went into effect.

 

In the top of the eighth inning, Strobel opened the inning on second base and scored on a sac fly to right by Tepedino for a 5-4 lead.

 

Delfino opened the bottom of the eighth on second and promptly stole third base—her 22^nd pick of the year. Ginter blooped a single over first base and onto the right field line to tie the game at 5-5. After back-to-back fly outs, sophomore catcher ALEXANDRA DiIORIO (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) kept the inning alive with an infield single and she and Ginter advanced to second and third when the throw to first was in the dirt and resulted in a throwing error. With daylight quickly disappearing, Skowronski came to the plate and battled CSI sophomore Michelle Ferraiuolo (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) for an eight-pitch at-bat, including five consecutive foul balls. Finally, Skowronski ripped a pitch into left center to drive home Ginter with the winning run.

 

Ginter was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs for NJCU, including a double, and Skowronski finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Prospero, who had a double in each game of the twinbill, was 2-for-4 with a run and Delfino scored twice.

 

Tepedino went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, and her third homerun of the year. Ponsiglione, the designated player in game two, was 2-for-2 with a run and freshman third baseman Carmella Lubrano (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) was 2-for-3.

 

Delucrezia earned the win (7-9). She allowed four earned runs and seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Ferraiuolo (5-5) was charged with five earned runs and 12 hits in 7.2 innings, with one K and two walks.

 

CSI took a 1-0 lead in the second when Tepedino drove the first pitch over the left field fence for a homer. The Dolphins made it 2-0 in the third on a two-out RBI single by Lubrano, scoring Estrada who doubled. Gomez led off the bottom of the inning with a single and scored on an RBI single by Skowronski.

 

Trailing 2-1, NJCU plated three runs in the fourth. Prospero doubled down the leftfield line, Delfino singled, and both came in when Ginter launched a double into left-center for a 3-2 lead. Perrucci slipped an RBI single through the left side to score Ginter, and extend the lead to 4-2.

 

In the sixth, Tepedino reached on a fielder's choice and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Ponsiglione walked and tied the game when freshman catcher Amanda D'Amato (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea), doubled with two outs. NJCU left runners stranded on first and second in the bottom of the seventh.

 

NJCU is back in action on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. when it hosts The College of New Jersey in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader. CSI hosts Hunter College at 12 p.m. on April 25.