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) | New Jersey City University's softball team showed a ton of resiliency in posting its first sweep of a conference doubleheader in three seasons. NJCU bounced back from a 6-0 deficit in game one and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in game two after Rutgers-Newark had scored five runs in the top of the inning, and the Gothic Knights earned a pair of New Jersey Athletic Conference wins over the rival Scarlet Raiders, winning by an 8-6 margin in both games on Saturday at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. 

NJCU, sweeping an NJAC doubleheader for the first time since twice defeating Rutgers-Newark in Newark on April 13, 2—0, improved to 11-13 overall and evened its NJAC mark at 2-2 while extending its winning streak to three. The Raiders dropped to 7-15 (2-4 NJAC). NJCU leads the all-time series, 33-30.  
 
The sweep was the first home sweep of a league twinbill since accomplishing the feat twice in the 2008 season—downing R-N (April 12, 2008) and Richard Stockton College (April 26, 2008).
 
Senior shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and her third homerun of the season in game one and reigning NJAC Rookie Hitter of the Week and freshman third baseman NICOLE CALIXTO (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) had three RBIs  in the doubleheader.
 
Junior first baseman REBECCA SATZ (Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown) was 3-for-3 in game two but had her school-record 22-game hitting streak snapped in the opening game. She reached on a fielder's choice in the opener and scored a run, but also had her 22-game on-base streak snapped because she didn't get a hit, walk or hit by pitch. 
In a game plagued with errors, NJCU trailed 6-0 after two innings and 6-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning before scoring six runs on four hits to pull ahead of the Scarlet Raiders. Despite committing seven errors, the fifth inning rally proved to be substantial enough to win as the Gothic Knights took game one, 8-6.
 
Ginter led NJCU with a 3-for-4 effort, adding two RBIs, her third homerun of the season and her NJAC-leading 30th run scored while sophomore catcher MARISSA BARISO (Hewitt, NJ/West Milford) was 1-for-3 with her fourth homerun of the season and 11^th of her two-year career.
 
Junior righty ASHLEY O'BEIRNE (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Immaculate Conception) pitched well in a game in which her defense failed her, yet she stayed composed on the mound. While she allowed two triples in the game, she only surrendered three hits the entire game—just one in the first six innings—and none of the six runs she allowed were earned. She walked two and struck out one for the win (6-8).
 
R-N sophomore lefty Brianna Alicchio (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) suffered her fifth loss of the season (5-5). In 6.0 innings, she gave up eight runs (three earned), seven hits and struck out one batter.
 
Satz, senior center fielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (South Plainfield, NJ/Belleville), senior designated hitter JESS MUCERINO (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) and sophomore second baseman JANISSA CARDONA (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) each added a run for NJCU. Calixto added the other RBI in game one.
 
For the Scarlet Raiders, rookie shortstop Victoria Sovak (Roebling, NJ/Notre Dame) was 1-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Junior left fielder Nicole Odell (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph's) added a run and a RBI. Monica Bagan (Wallington, NJ/Wallington), AJ Affholter (Trenton, MI/Southgate Anderson), Caroline Lane (Somerset, NJ/Rutgers Prep) and Tori Santiago (Jersey City, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) also added runs for Newark. Bagan and Sovak had the R-N triples.
 
Three NJCU errors led to six unearned run in the top of the sixth inning—the only offense R-N could register in the game. Two middle infield errors started the trouble and back-to-back fielder's choices that did not result in outs loaded the bases and pushed in the first two runs. Sovak unloaded them, ripping a triple to right center for three runs and a 5-0 lead before the sixth run crossed on a groundout.
 
NJCU would start to chip away at the R-N lead in the bottom of the third inning as Cardona reached on an error, sophomore left fielder CASEY PEREZ (West New York, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels) and Ginter had back-to-back bunt singles, and Cardona and Perez scored two unearned runs after the second error of the inning.
 
The R-N lead remained 6-2 until NJCU took control of the game in the bottom of the fifth. After rookie TAYLOR SETAR (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) was hit by a pitch as a pinch hitter, Ginter slammed a two-run homerun to left center, cutting the deficit in half (6-4). Gomez singled, Satz reached on a fielder's choice and Mucerino was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Calixto pushed in the fifth run with an RBI on a groundout to push home Gomez. On the play, Satz was caught between second and third but an errant throw that should have ended the inning by Bagan sailed wide of third and both Satz and Mucerino scored on the error to put NJCU in front 7-6.  Bariso would cap off the six-run inning with a solo homerun to left field to give the Gothic Knights the 8-6 final.
 
After R-N singled to lead off the seventh, O'Beirne coaxed a double play groundout. Bagan tripled with two outs but with the tying run at the plate, Affholter grounded out to third to end the game. In a deadlocked game two, NJCU scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 5-1 lead. R-N answered with a five-run rally in the top of the sixth, but the Knights rebounded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to post another 8-6 win.
 
Calixto was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run and Cardona was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Satz added was 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored. Gomez and Bariso each scored twice.
 
Sophomore second baseman Tiara Santi (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) added two RBIs and a run in a 2-for-4 effort for R-N, while junior third baseman Monica Liotto (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills) was 2-for-4 with two runs. Sophomore designated player Gabby Spinella (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) finished 2-for-4.
 
Mucerino pitched 5.2 innings sandwiched around a 1.1 inning relief stint by O'Beirne. Mucerino struck out two and walked three in the win (5-5), allowing one run and three hits. Newark sophomore righty Liane Drastal (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) suffered her ninth loss of the season (4-9), allowing nine hits and eight runs in 6.0 innings.
 
NJCU would score first in the bottom of the third inning when Satz reached on a dropped fly ball that would have resulted in a sacrifice fly anyway and Gomez, who doubled before advancing to third, scored on the play.
 
Newark would respond in the top of the fourth inning, when Spinella singled and was thrown out trying to stretch her hit into a double. Before she could be tagged out, Liotto, who reached on a fielder's choice, was able to score and tie the game.
 
NJCU would take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. After hits by Satz and Bariso, a one-out single by Calixto put NJCU ahead, 2-1. Bariso scampered home on an R-N fielding error before a two-run single to center by Cardona extended the lead to 5-1.
 
Newark fought back with five runs in the top of the sixth inning to claim a one-run, 6-5 margin. Singles by Liotto and Spinella followed by a two-run Santi single to center field made it a two-run game. A based-loaded walk pushed in the fourth run and a single through the right side by Sovak tied the game. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Affholter drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run. In all, 11 batters came to the plate in the inning before a lineout ended the threat and the bases were left full.
 
Down 6-5, NJCU would yet again rally in the bottom of the sixth to take the victory. Gomez was hit by a pitch, Satz singled, and the runners advanced on a fly out. Bariso reached on a fielder's choice that loaded the bases. For the second time on the day, Calixto hit a key ground ball that would have forced in a run and tied the game. She received an RBI for the grounder that scored Gomez with the tying run and when Calixto reached on a throwing error, Satz raced around third with the go-ahead run. Bariso crossed with the eighth run after a sac fly by Setar. R-N was retired 1-2-3 in the seventh inning to end it.
 
NJCU will travel to Kean University in Union, NJ for a makeup NJAC doubleheader on Monday, April 9 at 3 p.m. Rutgers-Newark will host Montclair State in a NJAC doubleheader on Tuesday April, 10 at 3 p.m.

Game 1: Saturday, April 7, 2012 | Jersey City, NJ
Rutgers-Newark (9-13, 0-5 NJAC)	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	6	3	3
New Jersey City University (10-13, 1-2 NJAC)	0	0	2	0	6	0	X	-	-	8	7	7
WP: ASHLEY O'BEIRNE (6-8). LP: Brianna Alicchio (5-5).  HR: N- MEGAN GINTER (3), MARISSA BARISO (4).

 

Game 2: Saturday, April 7, 2012 | Jersey City, NJ
Rutgers-Newark (9-14, 0-6 NJAC)	0	0	0	1	0	5	0	-	-	6	8	3
New Jersey City University (11-13, 2-2 NJAC)	0	0	1	0	4	3	X	-	-	8	9	1
WP: JESS MUCERINO (5-5). LP: Liane Drastal (4-9).