New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEW YORK, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University burst out to a 17-1 lead, only to have to hold off John Jay College, 17-15, in a marathon, 2-hour, 40 minute, seven-inning tilt in the opening contest of a non-conference doubleheader on Randall's Island on March 18. John Jay took the nightcap, 7-3, after it was called due to darkness with one out in the fifth inning.
  On a cold day in New York, NJCU (2-8) and John Jay (1-3) combined for 32 runs in perhaps the longest seven-inning game on record for the Gothic Knights. NJCU, which had scored just 16 runs in its first eight games of the season, doubled that in just one outing and scored the program's most runs in a game in two years.
 
Freshman left fielder Yaquelin Iglesias (White Plains, NY/White Plains) drove in four runs and batted 3-for-5 while sophomore designated player TAYLOR SETAR (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) knocked in four runs—three on a first-inning homerun, the third of her career. Senior center fielder CASEY PEREZ (West New York, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels) had a double, triple and two runs scored in a 2-for-5 effort.
 
Also for NJCU, sophomore first baseman FAITH ELY (Vienna, NJ/Hackettstown) was 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs while senior shortstop GABRIELLE RIVERA (Teaneck, NJ/Saint Joseph of the Palisades) scored three times in a 2-for-4 showing.
 
Senior second baseman MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added three runs and freshman third baseman BRIANNA ROSARIO (Roselle, NJ/Abraham Clark) scored twice, batting 1-for-2 with one RBI. Sophomore right fielder THALIA GARCIA (Ridgefield, NJ/North Bergen) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.
 
The Bloodhounds hit two homeruns in the loss when they scored 14 unanswered runs. Catcher Jennifer Varela had a grand slam, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs, a double and one run while right fielder Danielle Minaya batted 2-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs and a three-run dinger.
 
Center fielder Lana Kovac was 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI third baseman Marlin Rallas scored twice, batting 2-for-4. Second baseman Kalyssa Daley scored three times and had two RBIs (1-2) and first baseman Jessica Zaccari scored twice.
 
John Jay committed four errors and NJCU capitalized, scoring 10 unearned runs off pitcher Sara McKenna (0-2), who allowed 17 runs and 15 hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Junior left-hander ASHLEY LATUSHKO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) allowed 11 earned runs and 12 hits, walking six with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
 
NJCU scored six runs in the first, six in the second and five in the third yet didn't score again. In the first, 10 players batted with Perez tripling and scoring on a single by Iglesias. With the bases loaded and two outs after a pair of fielder's choice plays to the plate, Ely had a two-run single to make it 3-0 and Setar homered for three more runs. John Jay scored once in the bottom of the inning on a Minaya RBI single.
 
NJCU took advantage of two Bloodhound errors in the second. After a passed ball allowed one run to cross, a two-run single by Garcia with the bases loaded made it an 8-1 lead and a dropped fly ball in center allowed two more runs to cross. Iglesias capped the inning with an RBI single for a 12-1 lead.
 
Two more opposing errors in the third extended the inning and NJCU again seized the opportunity. With the bases loaded, Setar drew a walk, Rosario singled home a run and Perez made it 15-1 with a double before a two-run single by Iglesias extended the margin to a seemingly insurmountable 17-1.
 
However, John Jay slowly began to claw back. With one out in the bottom of the third, Varela's grand slam made it a 17-5 game and a two-out RBI double by Rallas plated another run. A three-run homer by Minaya in the fourth drew the hosts within 17-9. John Jay added a 10^th run in the fifth on a one-out single by Daley.
 
Things got closer after the bottom of the sixth as John Jay scored four runs off of two errors. After the second error of the inning brought home one run, a single by Jamie Lam, a groundout by Daley and an RBI single by Kovac drew the Bloodhounds within three runs, 17-14.
 
NJCU, which left nine runners on base in the game, including two in the seventh, held off the Bloodhounds in the seventh. With two outs after a sacrifice and a groundout, an RBI single by Jennifer Pace knocked in the 15^th run and the hosts had the tying runs on the corners before Lam grounded out to second to end the game.
  In game two, Setar made the first pitching appearance of her collegiate career and did not allow an earned run. But NJCU committed five errors and John Jay scored two in the first and three in the second before prevailing when the game was called due to darkness. NJCU scored single runs in each of the first three innings.
 
NJCU had a 7-3 margin in hits in the loss with Kaminski batting 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Iglesias was 1-for-2 with a double and run scored and Perez was 1-for-2 with a run and two steals.  Freshman designated player KAYLA MUNIZ (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) had one RBI, batting 1-for-3.
 
Kovac had two RBIs for John Jay, batting 1-for-2 with a run scored and Daley walked twice and scored each time. Pace was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
 
Setar allowed just three hits in 4.1 innings, walking six and striking out one against seven unearned runs. McKenna (1-2), allowed three earned runs and seven hits with three walks and one strikeout.
 
In the top of the first, Perez and Iglesias each walked and had a double steal to move into scoring position. An RBI groundout by senior catcher MARISSA BARISO (Hewitt, NJ/West Milford) made it 1-0 but NJCU couldn't add to the lead. John Jay scored twice in the bottom of the inning on a pair of passed balls.
 
NJCU tied it at 2-2 in the top of the second when Garcia singled, advanced on a sacrifice by Ely and scored on an RBI single by Muniz.
 
But John Jay pulled in front in the bottom of the inning. After back-to-back errors by the left side of the infield, Kovac had a one-out, bases-loaded, two-run single for a 4-2 lead. The third error of the inning allowed the fifth run to cross.
 
NJCU left two runners on in the fourth and the bases loaded in the fifth, with a potential run erased in a play at the plate. Two errors in the bottom of the fifth led to two more runs by John Jay before darkness rolled in.
 
NJCU is back on the field on Thursday, March 20 at 4 p.m. when it faces Brooklyn College in non-conference action in Brooklyn, NY. The games will be the first of the season for the Bulldogs.

GAME 1: Tuesday, March 18, 2014   | New York, NY (Randall's Island)
New Jersey City University (2-7)	6	6	5	0	0	0	0	-	-	17	15	3
John Jay College (0-3)	1	0	5	3	1	4	1	-	-	15	12	4
WP: ASHLEY LATUSHKO (2-4). LP: Sara McKenna (0-2). HR: N-TAYLOR SETAR (1); Danielle Minaya (1); Jennifer Varela (1, GS).

 

GAME 2: Tuesday, March 18, 2014   | New York, NY (Randall's Island)
New Jersey City University (2-8)	1	1	1	0	0	X	X	-	-	3	7	5
John Jay College (1-3)	2	3	0	0	2	X	X	-	-	7	3	2
WP: Sara McKenna (1-2). LP: TAYLOR SETAR (0-1).