LITTLE RIVER, SC (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University committed five errors in the opening game when it dropped a 7-2 to Cazenovia College and struggled to string together hits in both games of its opening day as the Gothic Knights opened the 36th season of NJCU softball on March 6 with a pair of games in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex. NJCU (0-2) fell to Medaille College, 9-0, in seven innings in the second game.
 
Game 1: Cazenovia College 7, New Jersey City University 2
The Wildcats (1-0) scored four times in the top of the first, aided by two errors which led to three unearned runs and the Gothic Knights couldn't get their bats going in time to catch up.
 
The loss spoiled a sensational debut for freshman right-hander Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) who entered in relief in the fifth inning and struck out five against one walk and three hits in 3.0 shutout innings. She also ripped a two-out RBI triple to right center in her first plate appearance in the bottom of the sixth to give NJCU its second run.
 
Freshman Gabriella Contey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) had two of NJCU's other hits, batting 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
The Wildcats had nine hits, scoring another run in the second and two in the third before being held in check from there. Cazenovia had nine hits, led by sophomore designated player/first baseman Kelsey Schuette (Ballston Spa, NY) who was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a triple and walk.
 
Senior shortstop Marisa Scarcella (Massapequa, NY) was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and freshman catcher Laura Matekovic (Collegeville, Pa.) batted 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Sophomore righty Kelsey Morgan (Central Square, NY) was the winner for the Wildcats. In 5.0 innings she fanned five (four walks) and allowed one bunt single and an unearned run. Freshman righty Samantha Washburn (Lee Center, NY) struck out three (two walks) against a run and three hits in 2.0 innings of relief.
 
An RBI triple by Schuette in the first gave Caz a 1-0 lead before two of the five errors NJCU committed in the game extended the inning and allowed a pair of runs to cross before a fourth came in on a wild pitch. Schuette pushed another run across in the second with a two-out RBI single.
 
After NJCU got a run back in the second when junior second baseman Brianna Rosario (Roselle, NJ/Abraham Clark) walked and scored on an error, back-to-back Cazenovia RBI doubles in the third by Scarcella  and senior third baseman Angelica Clark (Philadelphia, PA) made it 7-1.
 
Senior transfer and righty Jayla Lee Vega (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken) started for NJCU. She lasted 4.0 innings, allowing four earned runs and six hits.
 
Game 2: Medaille College 9, New Jersey City University 0 (7 innings)
The Mavericks scored three times in the fifth and twice in the sixth and seventh innings to break open a two-run game, en route to a 9-0 win. Medaille had a 14-5 edge in hits.
 
Senior right-hander Amanda Mesi (East Amherst, NY) won for the Mavericks, limiting NJCU to five hits. In a 79-pitch shutout, she struck out eight and walked one. She also starred at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with two runs as the leadoff hitter. Senior third baseman Megan Owens (Conneaut Lake, PA) was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while freshman center fielder Mercedes Sulzbach (West Seneca, NY) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and an inside-the-park homerun. Sophomore catcher Lauren Kocher (Alden, NY) had two hits.
 
NJCU junior catcher Jazz Randall (Parsippany, NJ/West Orange) batted 2-for-3 but was the lone Gothic Knight with multiple hits. Mezey struck out six but walked four and allowed eight earned runs and 14 hits in the 7.0 innings.
 
Medaille got the only run it needed in the first when it scored an unearned run on NJCU's only error of the game. The Mavericks made it 2-0 in the third when Sulzbach ripped the second pitch she would see as a collegian down the left field line into the corner and never stopped running, scoring standing up on an inside-the-park homer. Medaille put the game away with the three runs in the fifth on a fielder's choice, a ground out and a sacrifice fly. A sixth inning RBI single by Owens and an RBI double by Kocher pushed the lead to 7-0 before Medaille added a pair of runs in the seventh.
 
#KnightNotes:

• All-Time Series with Cazenovia: First-ever meeting.
• All-Time Series with Medaille: First-ever meeting.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU will play twice on Monday, March 7 at two different times. NJCU is back on the field at 9:30 a.m. against Penn State Altoona before returning for a 5:30 p.m. evening game with Franciscan University. NJCU will face PSU-Altoona for the second time ever and the first time since a 10-7 win for NJCU on March 8, 2004, also in Myrtle Beach, SC. NJCU and Franciscan have never played.