WAYNE, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |The 38th season of intercollegiate softball at New Jersey City University ended on April 28 at William Paterson University (23-13, 10-8 NJAC) swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from the Gothic Knights (4-30, 0-18 NJAC), 7-1 and 9-1 (five innings) at the Pioneer Softball Field.
 
The Pioneers, who were ranked No. 25 in NCAA Division III in the April 18 National Fastpitch Coaches Association, before falling out of the April 25 poll, received two stellar pitching performances in the sweep.
 
In defeat, senior center fielder Julie Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional) had a double in game one to finish her career with 106 career hits—tied for 13th in school history. She was hit by a pitch in game two, extending her career program record in that category to 24.
 
Freshman Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J.) improved to 16-5 overall, striking out eight with no walks while scattering two hits and one run in 7.0 innings.
 
Sophomore Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J.) won game two (3-5), allowing two hits and an unearned run against three walks (one strikeout) in 4.0 innings. Byrnes pitched the fifth and allowed one hit while striking out three of the four batters she faced.
 
GAME 1: William Paterson 7, New Jersey City 1
A scoreless game was broken up by two Pioneer runs in the third and WP added two more in the fifth and sixth innings to distance themselves in the win. WP had a 10-2 margin in hits; the Gothic Knights committed four errors.
 
Junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) was 3-for-4 with two runs (1 RBI). Lupica, the designated player in game one, produced two RBIs and batted 2-for-4 (1 run). Senior second baseman Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J.) was 2-for-4 (1 run, 1 RBI).
 
Freshman first baseman Gianna Benacquista (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) had an RBI single for NJCU in the top of the seventh.
 
With the game scoreless, WP led off the third with a pair of singles and a two-run single through the left side by Lupica knocked in both for a 2-0 lead. Griffith made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the fourth. The Pioneers claimed a pair of unearned runs in the fifth on an error and passed ball. WP sealed it in the sixth when Griffith led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch; Hickman later added an RBI single.
 
GAME 2: William Paterson 9, New Jersey City 1 (5 innings)
A three-run second inning gave the Pioneers a 3-0 cushion and WP enforced the eight-run rule with a six-run bottom of the fourth. NJCU scored its run in the top of the fifth.
 
The Pioneers had 12 hits in the win. Senior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J.) batted 3-for-3 (two runs) and Griffith and senior center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J.) each drove in two runs in the WP win. Freshman shortstop Sydney Pace (Kearny, N.J.) and sophomore designated player Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J.) each batted 2-for-2 with a run scored.
 
WP scored three runs on four hits in the second. After the first run came home on a throwing error, Pace and Lutas later added RBI singles. The Pioneers had 10 batters come to the plate in the fourth as the hosts scored six runs on seven hits, aided by two NJCU errors. Griffith had the biggest blow—a two-run double down the left field line. Junior right-handed pitcher Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) was on the short side of both decisions for NJCU.
 
NOTABLES:

• 44th and 45th meetings; William Paterson leads all-time series, 42-3.
• After returning from its spring trip with a 3-5 record, NJCU lost the final 24 games of the season, primarily in conference play.
• Julie Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional) also ended her career seventh on the NJCU career list in games played (144) and started (143).
• Junior third baseman Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) played and started in her 100th career game for NJCU. She will enter her senior season with 84 hits, looking to become the 15th member of the 100-hit club. She has scored 51 runs, 39 RBIs and has 28 extra-base hits in three years.

 
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