CAPE CORAL, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University matched a season high with nine hits and for the first time in 10 games outhit an opponent but couldn't translate its hits into a run as the Gothic Knights fell to Curry College (Mass.), 4-0, in the final game of its 2015 spring trip on March 12 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
 
Curry, members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, had eight hits and improved to 3-3 with the win. NJCU finished its 10-game trip at 1-9. The Colonels had bookends offense in the game, scoring twice in the first and seventh innings. NJCU committed four errors in the game while Curry played flawless defense.
 
Freshman shortstop Alize Sarmiento (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) was 2-for-4 for NJCU and junior right fielder Thalia Garcia (Ridgefield, NJ/North Bergen) went 2-for-3. Senior center fielder Crystal Torres (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) and freshman left fielder Juliana Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional) each had a double in the loss.
 
Curry pitcher Mikayla Lambert threw a nine-hit shutout, striking out six against two walks in 7.0 innings for the win (1-0). Lambert and first baseman Kevi Oatway each had two hits for the Colonels.
 
Sophomore right-hander Brittany Paulikas (Fords, NJ/JFK-Iselin) did not allow an earned run but suffered the loss (1-3). She struck out five, walked three and allowed eight hits (seven singles).
 
In the first inning, left fielder Amy Nolan and Lambert singled. A passed ball pushed the lead run to third and with two outs, Nolan scored on a wild pitch. A two-out error allowed Lambert to score for the 2-0 lead. Curry added a pair of two-out insurance runs in the seventh when the Knights committed three errors in the frame.
 
NJCU had a chance in the second when senior designated player Ashley Latushko (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) singled and Squeo doubled with no one out before the Knights left the bases loaded. NJCU also had two hits in the fifth but couldn't push a run across and left two players on base in the bottom of the seventh.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
NJCU is scheduled to play its first northern game and open its 18-game home schedule on Thursday, March 19 at 3:30 p.m. against Yeshiva University. It will be the first meeting between NJCU and the third-year Maccabees program.