New Jersey City University Athletics

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

• GAME 1: PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
• GAME 2: PART 1 | PART 2

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | When New Jersey City University junior right-handed pitcher ASHLEY O'BEIRNE (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Immaculate Conception)  entered in relief in the fourth inning with the flex player not in use, something else became clear—she would also have to bat…in the No. 2 position in the lineup. Someone forgot to tell O'Beirne she's not supposed to swing the bat this well. O'Beirne, who entered the game 8-for-98 as a hitter with just three RBIs in her career, notched her first hit in nearly two years—a walkoff single over the head of the left fielder in the bottom of the seventh inning as NJCU overcame a pair of rallies in game two by St. Joseph's College (NY) and edged the Golden Eagles, 6-5, in the nightcap of a non-conference doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
In game one, junior first baseman REBECCA SATZ (Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown) slammed a two-run homerun in the first inning and nearly had another later in the game before a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher MARISSA BARISO (Hewitt, NJ/West Milford) put the Gothic Knights in front 3-0, and NJCU held off St. Joseph's, 3-2.
 
Satz extended her school-record hitting streak to 18 consecutive games with two extra base hits in game one and a third inning single in game two. The previous known record was 13 games. Her streak is also the longest to start a season as NJCU was playing in its 18^th game.
 
NJCU (8-10) won their third straight and leads the all-time series with the Patchogue, Long Island Golden Eagles (5-5) by a 7-1 margin.  St. Joseph's dropped its fifth straight game after a 5-0 start to the season. NJCU improved to 3-4 in one-run games this season.
 
With the homerun in game one, Satz became the third player in program history to reach double figures in career homers with 10 and is tied with Bariso for second place. Jen Barletta (1998-2001) is the all-time leader with 23 homers.
 
Meanwhile, senior shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) swiped two bases in game two and with 88 career steals is now one shy of breaking the career school record of 89 set by Kristy Zielinski (1997-2000). Ginter is now 19-for-19 in steals this season.
 
O'Beirne, the winning pitcher in both games of the doubleheader (4-6), snapped a six-game personal losing streak, thanks in part to her bat. Her game-winning hit was her first hit and first RBI since May 1, 2010 against the College of New Jersey. In a combined 10.2 innings, she struck out three batters versus seven walks, but allowed only two earned runs (three total) and nine hits.

NJCU handed SJCNY (5-4) its fourth loss of the season by scoring two runs in the first inning on Satz' bomb and the decisive run in the fifth inning on Bariso's sac fly. The Golden Eagles scored two runs in the sixth inning to give the Gothic Knights a scare, but a great defensive effort in the seventh helped preserve the victory.
 
Satz continued her offensive hot streak as she went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, her fourth homerun of the season, a double and 11 putouts defensively and senior JESS MUCERINO (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) scored two runs and had two steals as a designated player. Sophomore center fielder CASEY PEREZ (West New York, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels) was 2-for-3 in the win.
 
SJCNY junior pitcher Julia De Carmine (Holtsville, NY) was 3-for-4 with one run but grounded out to second base with the tying run at third to end the game. Rookie designated player Nicole Reda (Saint James, NY) added a RBI and a run in a 1-for-3 effort.
 
O'Beirne picked up her third win of the season, striking out three (four walks) with one earned run and six hits allowed in seven innings. De Carmine suffered her third loss of the season (2-3), allowing three runs and six hits, despite striking out 12 batters (three walks) in 6.0 innings.
 
In the first inning, Mucerino walked before Satz homered for the second day in a row, launching a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall.

The 2-0 lead would hold up until the fifth when Satz would nearly hit her second homerun of the game in the bottom of the inning, on a long shot to center field but was robbed of the opportunity when rookie center fielder Julianne Tierney (Bethpage, NY) reached up and over the wall to make the catch as the wind held up the potential homerun blast.
 
Mucerino, who had been hit by a pitch before stealing second and advancing to third, would score on the next play on Bariso's sac fly to deep center for a 3-0 lead.
 
SJCNY would test the Gothic Knights in the top of the sixth inning scoring two runs when Reda doubled down the left field line to bring in De Carmine who led off with a single. Later in the inning, sophomore Vienna Costanzo (Patchogue, NY) popped up a bunt that was caught by Satz. However, a wild throw to attempt to pick senior Alba Salazar (Patchogue, NY) at second would sail into center field, giving Reda the opportunity to score the Eagles second run of the game. A ground ball ended the threat.
 
In the seventh, freshman right fielder/catcher Tara Bernocco (Islip, NY) doubled with one out and advanced to third on a groundout. With the tying run at third, O'Beirne coaxed De Carmine into a game-ending grounder to second as NJCU prevailed, 3-2. In the second game against SJCNY, NJCU scored four times in the bottom of the first. But the Eagles scored once in the second and three times in the fourth to tie the game. NJCU regained a 5-4 lead in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, a two-out play at the plate could have ended the game, before the umpire took his time and indicated St. Joseph's had  tied the game at 5-5, setting up O'Beirne's heroics in the bottom of the seventh with daylight dwindling.
 
Ginter and senior left fielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (South Plainfield, NJ/Belleville) led a 10-hit attack for NJCU. Ginter was 2-for-4 with two runs while Gomez went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Bariso added a run and RBI in a 1-for-3 effort. O'Beirne and sophomore second baseman JANISSA CARDONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) each added an RBI and rookie third baseman NICOLE CALIXTO (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) was 1-for-3 with a run.       
 
O'Beirne, who entered the game in the top of the fourth inning in place of Mucerino, picked up her fourth win of the season (4-6). In 3.2 innings, she allowed one run and four hits. Sophomore pitcher Cassie Martinez (Centereach, NY) suffered the loss (3-2), striking out three batters versus one walk and allowing six runs and 10 hits in 6.1 innings.              
 
Also for SJCNY, senior shortstop Courtney Frisina (Smithtown, NY) drove in two runs in a 1-for-3 effort and junior left fielder Gina Moscatelli (Massapequa, NY) was 1-for-3 with two runs. Bernocco was the lone player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4. Tierney added the other RBI of game two for the Golden Eagles, as Martinez, Salazar and rookie Gianna Gulli (Mount Sinai, NY) each added a run.              
 
In the bottom of the first, Ginter singled, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI double to left center by Bariso. Gomez made it 2-0 with a bunt single, scoring Bariso. Calixto followed with a single to right field which rolled past the fielder for an error. Gomez sprinted home on the miscue for a 3-0 lead before an infield RBI single by Cardona made it a 4-0 margin.
 
The Eagles would get a run back in the top of the second when Moscatelli singled and later scored on a throwing error. After a scoreless third inning, the Golden Eagles would draw even with three runs in the fourth. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases. Moscatelli cut the lead in half when she advanced from third on a wild pitch and O'Beirne entered for Mucerino. Frisina singled to left center for two runs, bringing in Salazar and Martinez to tie the score at 4-4.
 
NJCU would take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Gomez doubled down the left field line to lead off, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-4 edge.
 
SJCNY would set the stage for a thrilling ending to the game as they tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh. Gulli walked and eventually scored on a Tierney groundout. Cardona made the throw to first and looked back the runner to third for the second out before Gulli sprinted home and slid in under the tag of Bariso off a throw from Satz.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Perez had an infield single. But after NJCU opened the year 52-for-52 in stolen bases, Perez was thrown out at second for the first out. The Knights responded as Ginter doubled down the right field line, stole third and O'Beirne, who flew out to deep left field in the fifth inning in her first at bat of the season, launched a 180-foot game-winning, walkoff single over the head of the Moscatelli in left to score Ginter, before being swarmed by her teammates in celebration at first base.                
 
NJCU will begin conference play on Saturday, March 31, when they travel to Union, NJ for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Kean University.