FORT MYERS, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University softball won its first game of the season in impressive fashion, routing Anna Maria College, 14-1, in game one for the Gothic Knights on the third day of its 2018 spring trip at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The win gave Marc Della Volpe his first victory as a collegiate head coach in his first season at the helm of NJCU.
 
In game two, Elms got two insurance runs in the sixth inning of a close game to defeat the Gothic Knights (1-5), by a 4-0 outcome. Both games were played at the CenturyLink Complex Fields—spring training home of the Minnesota Twins.
 
GAME 1: New Jersey City 14, Anna Maria 1 (5 innings)
NJCU scored four runs in the first inning and quickly pulled away from the Amcats (0-7), notching multiple runs in all four innings it batted. A six-run third inning punctuated the win for Della Volpe's Gothic Knights.
 
Senior center fielder Julie Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional) was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored while freshman first baseman Gianna Benacquista (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), who had four hits in the two games, was 2-for-3 with three runs, a double and a solo homer—the first of her career and by an NJCU player this season.
 
Sophomore catcher Kayla Clarke (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) batted 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Freshman shortstop Dayanara Flores (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic via M.E.T.S. Charter), junior third baseman Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) and senior second baseman Melissa Mendoza (Union City, NJ/Union City) each scored twice.
 
Senior right-handed pitcher Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) earned the win. In 5.0 innings, she struck out five, walked three and allowed just one run and four hits. Junior righty Victoria Falco (Marlborough, Mass.) took the loss (0-2).
 
How It Happened:
AMC jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning but it didn't last long. Benacquista opened the bottom of the inning with a double down the left field line. NJCU tied it 1-1 when Flores singled up the middle. The Knights tacked on three more runs with two outs.
 
A two-out single by Gavin and a steal of second brought up Squeo who singled to right to give NJCU a 2-1 lead. After a wild pitch moved Squeo to second, Mendoza drove her in for a 3-1 lead with a single to center. She scored on a double to left by Clarke for a 4-1 lead and the sixth hit of the inning.
 
After a 1-2-3 second inning, Benacquista drilled an 0-1 pitch over the center field fence. After a pair of errors extended the inning, a bloop single down the right field line by Squeo made it 6-1. In the top of the third, a heads up defensive play ended the inning as NJCU got the Amcats in a 2-4-6-8 rundown at second.
 
The Knights added six runs in the third to claim a 12-1 advantage. Mendoza and Clarke reached and a double steal of second and home made it 7-1. Sophomore right fielder/catcher Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) grounded out to push in an eighth run. Gavin drew a bases loaded walk (9-1) and with the bases still loaded, Squeo beat out an infield single to short that knocked in two more runs. A double steal of second and home by Squeo and Gavin made it 12-1.
 
In the top of the fourth, AMC loaded the bases with two outs before a pop out to third ended the threat. NJCU added two runs in the bottom of the fourth after an error and Mezey sealed the win in the top of the fifth.
 
GAME 2: Elms 4, New Jersey City 0
In game two, the Blazers (3-5) tallied single runs in the bottom of the second and third innings and added two key runs in the sixth to secure the 4-0 win—its second victory of the day. Each team had seven hits.
 
In defeat, Benacquista collected two more hits (2-for-4) to pace NJCU's offensive effort. Mezey took the loss despite allowing just seven hits—six of which were singles. She walked five and struck out four.
 
Elms junior pitcher Lisa Lusardi (Enfield, Conn.) was the winning pitcher and helped her own cause at the plate. In 7.0 innings, she tossed a seven-hit shutout, striking out two without issuing a walk in 75 pitches. She batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Additionally for the Blazers, senior third baseman Elizabeth Olszewski (Canterbury, Conn.) was 2-for-3, junior shortstop Madison Messier (Warren, Mass.) walked twice and scored once and junior center fielder Kayla Doherty scored twice.
 
After each team couldn't score early on with a runner at second base, Elms loaded the bases in the second with one out. A sac fly by sophomore first baseman Katelyn Sylvia drove in Doherty, who led off with a single, for a 1-0 lead. In the third, Olszewski doubled after a leadoff walk and a sac bunt by second baseman junior Jeszy McGuire (Brimfield, Mass.) made it 2-0. Mezey got out of the inning with a pop to shortstop and a strikeout swinging.
 
In the top of the fourth, Squeo tripled to right with two outs and Clarke hit a sharp liner back to the pitcher who made a lunging catch.
 
With Elms still up 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Lusardi added an insurance run for a 3-0 lead and junior left fielder Catharine Wrang (Middletown, Conn.) beat out a throw to first with two outs to push across a fourth run.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series vs. Anna Maria: NJCU leads, 3-0; previous meetings in 2010 and 2016.
• Series vs. Elms: NJCU leads, 2-1; teams playing for the second year in a row in Florida (2011, 2017, 2018).

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The final day of the 2018 spring trip on Thursday, March 8 will see NJCU face the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (9 a.m.) and Rivier University (11 a.m.).

 
GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:
For the latest on NJCU softball and #NJCUSB, follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. Preferred hashtag is GothicFamily and GothicGameDay.