New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BOX SCORE: GAME 1 | GAME 2
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior right-hander JESS MUCERINO (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) fired a one-hit shutout in game two and batted 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and junior first baseman  REBECCA SATZ (Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown) extended her hitting streak to 12 games as the Gothic Knights split a non-conference  doubleheader against visiting Baruch College, falling 6-2 in game one before crushing the Bearcats in five innings in the second game, 9-0, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on Thursday afternoon.
 
Sophomore catcher MARISSA BARISO (Hewitt, NJ/West Milford) had four RBIs and her second homerun of the season in game two as NJCU improved to 5-7 overall, snapping a six-game losing streak after the opening game loss to Baruch (3-7). NJCU leads the all-time series, 11-2. In the opener, Baruch scored twice in the fifth and two more in the seventh to cement the four-run lead in a game where the Knights committed a season-high six errors.
 
Senior center fielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (South Plainfield, NJ/Belleville) had half of NJCU's four hits in the opener, going 2-for-3 with two steals and one run. Satz was 1-for-3 and sophomore second baseman JANISSA CARDONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
 
Baruch junior right-handed pitcher Nicole Flint (Brentwood, NY) pitched 7.0 innings in the win, allowing four hits and two unearned runs while striking out seven batters (one walk).  Offensively, she was 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
 
Baruch senior shortstop Melanie Pellegrino (Brooklyn, NY) added three runs for the Bearcats. Senior catcher Carmen Pagan-Colon (Ponce, Puerto Rico) tallied a run in a 2-for-3 effort. Sophomore first baseman Olivia Auman (Queens, NY) also was 2-for-4.
 
Junior pitcher ASHLEY O'BEIRNE (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Immaculate Conception) suffered the loss (2-4), striking out one batter versus two walks. She allowed three earned runs (six total) and eight hits allowed in 7.0 innings.
 
Baruch got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning, courtesy of two errors. Pellegrino reached on a dropped fly ball before coming around on the second error.
 
NJCU would tie the score in the bottom of the second inning as Gomez generated the offense. After a single to left center, she stole second and third and coaxed a throwing error on the second swipe, allowing her to come home from third.
 
Baruch would strike back and take a 2-1 lead over the Gothic Knights as Pellegrino would score another unearned run for the Bearcats. After being hit by a pitch to lead off the third, she advanced to third on a ground out and a Pagan-Colon before coming in on NJCU's third error of the game.
 
NJCU left the bases full in the fourth and the Bearcats would take a 4-1 lead at the top of the fifth inning when Pellegrino walked, stole second and scored yet another run on the Knights' fourth error of the game. A ground-rule double by Flint knocked in the fourth run, scoring rookie center fielder Chelsea DeGuzman (Winter Garden, FL/South Lake), who singled.
 
NJCU would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth when Cardona doubled to right center to bring in Bariso, who reached on a fielding error. However, Baruch would ensure the victory by adding two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Pagan-Colon singled and Flint added a hit before the lead runner scored on a passed ball and a later sacrifice fly provided the final run.
  Mucerino picked up her third win of the season (3-3) in an outstanding performance on the mound for NJCU, striking  out five batters versus one walk, while allowing a lone single to Auman with two outs in the first inning. Mucerino notched her third shutout in two years at NJCU and tossed her second carreer one-hitter, last accomplishing the feat on March 28, 2011 against Mount Saint Vincent.
  
NJCU, which cleaned up its defensive effort, committing no errors in game two—its fourth game without an error this season—watched as Baruch committed seven errors in the contest, the most by an opponent this year.

NJCU scored two runs in the first inning before chalking up seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to enforce the eight-run rule and ended the game after the top of the fifth. The Knights had 11 batters come to the plate in the decisive fourth inning.
 
Bariso went 1-for-1 with four RBIs, a walk and a sacrifice fly, and her three-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth was the final momentum boost for NJCU.
 
Senior shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) scored twice and had one hit, to compliment Bariso, and Mucerino, who scored twice on two hits.
 
Baruch rookie righty Deena Farrell (Hicksville, NY/Kellenberg Memorial) suffered her fifth loss of the season (0-5). In 4.0 innings, she allowed five earned runs and eight hits while striking out two (two walks).
 
In the first inning, Ginter reached on an error and Mucerino singled before stealing second. With one out, Bariso's sacrifice fly knocked in Ginter with the eventual winning run before Mucerino scored on the second of three errors committed by Baruch in the opening frame.
 
NJCU left two runners on base in the second inning and the bases full in the third before producing the seven runs on six hits and two Baruch errors in the fourth inning.
 
Ginter led off with a double, Mucerino had a bunt single and Satz extended her hit streak with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Bariso slammed her ninth career homer over the right center wall for a 6-0 margin. Gomez doubled with no one out and Cardona had a one-out single before a sacrifice fly by junior designated player GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) made it 7-0. When Rivera's fly ball was dropped, the Knights added an eighth run, before she came around to score the final run on another error.
 
 NJCU will travel to Hoboken, NJ on Saturday, March 24 for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Stevens Institute of Technology.