New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score CAPE CORAL, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior left-handed pitcher Ashley Latushko (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) gave  New Jersey City University a 2-0 lead with a first-inning homer before Alverno College scored seven times in the fourth inning and knocked off NJCU, 9-2, in game eight of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic for the Gothic Knights on March 11.
 
Alverno College (5-3), members of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), held NJCU to one hit after the first inning as Olivia Schneider locked down the win, tossing a three-hitter. In 7.0 innings, she allowed two runs with three strikeouts and a walk.
 
NJCU (1-7) committed five errors in the game and Gothic Knight pitching walked seven Inferno batters. Alverno only had six hits in the game.
 
Latushko, who had just one career extra-base hit (a double) prior to the game, ripped a two-out, 3-1 pitch over the right-center field fence in the first to score freshman shortstop Alize Sarmiento (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen), who singled. Sarmiento batted 2-for-3 with a run in the loss.
 
For the Inferno, shortstop Alexis Botsford had three RBIs, batting 2-for-5 with one run and first baseman Ashlie Rossi had two RBIs in a 2-for-4 day. Left fielder Sarah Brumett knocked in two runs and third baseman Megan Rossi scored twice.
 
Still trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, the Inferno had 11 batters come to the plate. Three consecutive walks sandwiched around two fly outs loaded the bases and Botsford came through, lining a three-run triple down the left field line before she scored on a wild pitch. A walk and an error put two more on. An RBI single by Megan Rossi and a two-run single to right center by Ashlie Rossi pushed across two more runners. Brumett added a two-run single in the sixth inning.
 
Latushko was the losing pitcher (0-5), allowing four earned runs on two hits and six walks in 3.2 innings of work before giving way to sophomore right-hander Brittany Paulikas (Fords, NJ/JFK-Iselin). She went the final 3.1 innings, allowing two runs and four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
On the final day of the spring trip, NJCU will face Dominican University (4-2), also members of the NACC at 9 a.m., before taking on Curry College (1-3) at 11 a.m. The Colonels play in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.