UNION, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The third longest winning streak in New Jersey City University softball history ended on April 2 when the Gothic Knights ran into a New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent fresh off an NCAA Division III World Series appearance last spring. In the NJAC opener for both schools, Kean University's pitching limited NJCU to four hits in each game and the Cougars swept the NJAC doubleheader, 8-1 and 8-0 (five innings).

Kean (9-9, 2-0 NJAC) used two big innings—a five-run fourth inning in game one and a five-run bottom of the first in game two—to separate itself. NJCU falls to 11-7 (0-2 NJAC) and has its eight-game winning streak end.

Game 1: Kean University 8, New Jersey City University 1
Kean's Kiele Eichlin struck out eight batters without issuing a walk in a 68-pitch victory (4-6). She allowed one run and four hits.
 
Center fielder Dana Knapp was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and left fielder Olivia Zengel was 2-for-4 with two runs. Shortstop Samantha Krakower and right fielder Sara Vocisano each batted 2-for-4 with a run scored. Third baseman Amanda Berezny knocked in two runs.
 
NJCU senior right-handed pitcher Jayla Lee Vega (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) had her six-game winning streak end as she fell to 6-2, walking six (one strikeouts) against eight runs and 11 hits in 6.0 innings. Sophomore left fielder Juliana Squeo (Carlstadt, N.J./Becton Regional) was 2-for-3 and scored NJCU's only run.
 
Kean scored twice in the first, the latter run on a double by Knapp before NJCU drew within 2-1 in the third as Squeo singled and scored on a two-out RBI single by rookie catcher Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown).
 
But Kean got a run back in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Berezny to knock in Krakower who led off with a single, for a 3-1 margin. Then in the fourth, the Cougars put the game away with five runs on five hits. Kean had two sac flies in the frame but the biggest hit was a two-run double by Knapp. She had half of Kean's four doubles in the win.
 
Game 2: Kean University 8, New Jersey City University 0 (5 innings)
Kean's Shannon McMahon (5-3) struck out five and walked none while limiting NJCU to four hits in a 58-pitch, five-inning shutout.
 
Knapp hit her sixth home run of the season and batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs as she concluded the doubleheader a combined 5-for-6 with six RBIs. Second baseman Emily Sabo was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI and Berezny had two hits.
 
Freshman righty Christina Mezey (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Dominic Academy) lost for NJCU (5-4). She allowed four earned runs and 11 hits in 4.2 innings, walking four and striking out one. NJCU committed three errors behind her.
 
Kean got all the offense it would need in the first when it scored five times on six hits. The hosts had singles by Zengel and Sabo and after a caught stealing, Krakower walked. With one out, Knapp homered on a 3-2 pitch to right center for a 3-0 margin. Tiffany Varriello and Vocisano added RBI singles in the frame.
 
Kean made it 6-0 in the third on an RBI single by Sabo after an error extended the inning. With one out in the fourth, Berezny hit her first homer of the season over the left field fence. Leading 7-0, Kean enforced the eight-run rule in the bottom of the fifth as Sabo, who reached on a fielder's choice, came around when a two-out single to right field by Knapp was misplayed by the Knights into a game-ending three-base error.
 
#KnightNotes:

• All-Time Series with Kean: 56th and 57th meetings. Kean leads, 51-6.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU hosts its first NJAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 5 (3 p.m.) against defending league champion Ramapo College (11-5, 2-0 NJAC, Won 7). Ramapo leads the all-time series, 51-14, and has won the last 26 meetings. Follow live stats (http://sidearmstats.com/NJCU/softball/) and video broadcast (https://www.youtube.com/user/NJCUGothicKnights/Live).