BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior third baseman Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) was a combined 5-for-6 as the New Jersey City University softball team (4-6) split a non-conference doubleheader with St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn (3-5) on March 17 at Gil Hodges Field. SJCBK scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and edged the Gothic Knights in game one, 2-1. NJCU trailed 4-2 in the nightcap before posting five runs in the top of the fifth and holding on for three rocky innings to knock off the Bears, 7-4.
 
It was NJCU's first games of its northern schedule since returning from Florida on March 8 and the first-ever meeting between the programs in softball.
 
GAME 1: St. Joseph's Brooklyn 2, New Jersey City 1.
New Jersey City outhit the Bears, 7-5, led by Gavin's 3-for-3 performance and a 2-for-3 (one run) effort by freshman shortstop Dayanara Flores (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic via M.E.T.S. Charter).
 
Despite the Bears walking six times, NJCU managed to strand 12 SJCBK players on base. But they couldn't strand a 13th. Junior third baseman Nicole Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led off the sixth of a 1-1 game with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a ground out. With two outs, senior center fielder Stephanie Rancel Middle Village, N.Y.) singled to left with the winning run. SJCBK would leave the bases loaded without adding another run but the Knights were retired in order in the top of the seventh to seal the win.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Victoria Mahoney (Allenwood, N.J.) won it for the Bears (2-1), striking out eight without issuing a walk. She allowed one run on seven hits. Junior righty Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) only allowed two runs and five hits in 6.0 innings. She struck out two but walked six and hit a batter in the loss.
 
Rancel and sophomore designated player/third baseman Amber Wainwright (Taunton, Mass.) each had two hits for the Bears.
 
SJCBK scored in the bottom of the first on a throwing error before NJCU immediately tied it in the top of the second when Flores singled, Gavin doubled and senior right fielder Melissa Mendoza (Union City, NJ/Union City) deposited an RBI single to right.
 
GAME 2: New Jersey City 7, St. Joseph's Brooklyn 4
Nine Gothic Knights batted in the top of the fifth when NJCU collected five hits and put up five runs to prevail, 7-4. Freshman first baseman Gianna Benacquista (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) batted 3-for-4 with two runs and Gavin finished 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored to pace NJCU.
 
Mezey was the winning pitcher (4-6) and helped her own caused with two RBIs. On the mound, she allowed two earned runs and nine hits in 7.0 innings. She struck out three and overcame nine walks.
 

SJCBK used three pitchers. Sophomore righty Madison Erhardt (Baltimore, Md.) started and took the loss (1-2), allowing five runs and seven hits in 4.0 innings. Wainwright was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Quintana, senior first baseman Maria Gentile (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and senior right fielder Megan Finnerty (Whitestone, N.Y) each tallied two hits in the loss. Sophomore left fielder Sarah Kampuries (Ozone Park, N.Y.) walked four times.
 
NJCU led 1-0 thru one inning after Benacquista led off with a single and scored after a pair of errors. A two-run double by Wainwright in the third gave the Bears a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third and the hosts added a third run on an infield error. Gavin doubled to lead off the fourth and later scored on a productive RBI groundout by Mezey to cut the deficit to one (3-2). SJCBK got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error.
 
But trailing 4-2, NJCU's bats and patience at the plate responded in the fifth. Sophomore left fielder Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), Benacquista and senior center fielder Julie Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional) led off with back-to-back-to-back singles and the fourth straight base hit—an infield single to short by Flores—brought in a run. Gavin drew a bases-loaded walk to tie it at 4-4. Freshman second baseman Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep) followed with another bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead and winning run and a throwing error on an attempted double steal after the play allowed a sixth run to come home. An RBI single by Mezey plated a seventh run and gave NJCU some insurance.
 
NJCU needed it because the final three innings were nailbiters. SJCBK had two singles and a walk in the bottom of the fifth but with the bases loaded and one out, Mezey stranded all three runners. In the sixth, two walks and a single again loaded the bases and once again Mezey got a key out to escape a jam. The Bears brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh after a single and a later two-out walk before Wainwright flew out to end the game.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: Even, 1-1.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• NJCU is idle until next Saturday, March 24 when it visits Lehman College in the Bronx, N.Y. at 12 p.m. This is a change from a doubleheader originally scheduled for home. It will be the 23rd and 24th meetings in a series NJCU has dominated, leading 20-2.

 
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