JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior first baseman Brittany Paulikas (Fords, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) had five consecutive hits in two games, including her third home run of the season. However Drew University scored in six of seven innings in a 10-2 game one victory and the Rangers scored three unearned runs with two outs in the fourth inning of game two, sweeping the non-conference doubleheader with a 4-1 result on April 21 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Drew wins its fourth in a row and improved to 11-17. NJCU dropped to 11-21 (lost 16). The Gothic Knights were plagued by seven errors in the two games; Drew did not commit an error.
 
Game 1: Drew University 10, New Jersey City University 2 (7 Innings)
Drew scored in every inning but the sixth and defeated the Gothic Knights in seven innings, 10-2. The Rangers took advantage of five NJCU errors, scoring four unearned runs.
 
Paulikas was 3-for-3 with a solo homer in the first but was the lone Gothic Knight with multiple hits as NJCU was limited to seven.
 
Drew freshman right-handed pitcher Bethany Budner (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) won (9-8), allowing two runs and seven hits with two strikeouts (one walk) over 89 pitches in seven innings. Senior righty Jayla Lee Vega (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) took the loss (6-9).
 
Five players had multiple hits for Drew as the Rangers chalked up 13. Junior shortstop Meghan McGuire (Stockton, N.J./Hunterdon Central) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and freshman first baseman Cara O'Leary (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored three times, batting 2-for-2 with one RBI. Leadoff hitter and right fielder Phylicia Pellot (Pennsauken, N.J/Camden Catholic) crossed the plate twice and was 2-for-4 while making four outstanding defensive plays in right.
 
Also for Drew, sophomore center fielder Heather Ronchi (Leonia, N.J./Paramus Catholic) produced three RBIs. Sophomore left fielder Brooke Adams (Cedar Grove, N.J/Cedar Grove) was 2-for-3 with one run and sophomore third baseman Lauren Mastropierro (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) finished 3-for-5.
 
Key Moments
After Drew scored twice in the top of the first with three straight singles, Paulikas cut the lead in half with a long homer to right field, clearing the fence by at least 50 feet. It was her third homer of the season.
 
In the second after an error, Vega got a squeeze play at the plate, using her glove to field and flip a bunt to freshman catcher Gabriella Contey (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Dominic Academy) for the tag just in time at the plate. But with the inning extended because of the error, McGuire singled to right, her second straight inning with a hit, scoring O'Leary. A ground out to shortstop ended the inning with the bases loaded with Drew up, 3-1.
 
The Rangers added a fourth run in the third on a two-out RBI single by O'Leary. NJCU cut the deficit to 4-2 after three innings when freshman Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown) scored on a bases loaded ground out.
 
In the top of the fourth, there were two outs with runners on second and third. A ground ball to third should have ended the inning. But NJCU's third baseman committed two errors on the play and Drew capitalized, adding a pair of unearned runs for a 6-2 lead. Up 7-2, Drew later tacked on three runs in the seventh.
 
Game 2: Drew University 4, New Jersey City University 1
Drew junior righty Emma Agostini (Centereach, N.Y.) entered with just one win on the season and fell behind 1-0. But Agostini recovered to retire 18 of the final 19 batters in a stretch from the second through seventh innings, and 13 in a row to end the game.
 
Agostini (2-9) struck out two, did not issue a walk, and allowed just one run and five hits over 95 pitches. NJCU freshman righty Christina Mezey (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Dominic Academy) pitched well enough to win (5-11), striking out eight (four walks) and gave up just one earned run and six hits in 7.0 innings.
 
Paulikas was 2-for-3 with one RBI for NJCU. McGuire batted 2-for-4 (one RBI) to finish the twinbill a combined 5-for-9 and Adams scored twice (1-for-3).
 
Key Moments
Mezey struck out the first two batters of the game in the first inning. During NJCU's half of the inning, Gavin doubled and scored when Paulikas hit a ground ball knocked down for an infield single. Gavin was injured sliding hard into home and did not return, leading 1-0.
 
After two singles by Drew to open the third, Mezey came back and struck out the next two batters (five through three innings) and a ground ball to third ended the threat.
 
In the fourth, Drew loaded the bases after three walks, but a two-out line drive to second should have ended the inning. When it was dropped, two runs scored and with the inning kept alive, a third run crossed on a wild pitch, giving the Rangers all the runs they would need. With two outs in the sixth after a single and a walk, McGuire hit a ball up the middle that was knocked down, but Adams scored for the fourth run.
 
#KnightNotes:

• All-Time Series with Drew: Drew leads the all-time series, 18-2 since the first meeting in 2001, and has won the last 18 meetings.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU will host No. 15 ranked Rowan University on Saturday, April 23 at 1 p.m. in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader. Rowan (27-7, 10-2 NJAC) is in first place in the NJAC and leads the all-time series, 34-0.