JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University softball team opened New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play on March 30 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Conference, falling to Rutgers-Camden by scores of 10-0 and 7-0 in their conference opening-weekend doubleheader at NJCU's Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
Freshman center fielder Laura Ford (Leonia, NJ/Leonia), sophomore second baseman Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep), and freshman third/first baseman Emma Herrick (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) had strong games for the Knights, with Ford collecting four hits on the day, while Almonte and Herrick had two hits apiece. The Knights (3-15, 0-2 NJAC) were only outhit 15-9 on the day, but they were unable to match the big hits the Scarlet Raptors (6-4, 2-0 NJAC) got when they had runners in scoring position.
 
Game 1: Rutgers-Camden 10, NJCU 0 (Five innings)
In the first game of the day, the Raptors pushed a run across in the top half of the first, but NJCU looked to have an answer in the bottom half. Freshman right fielder Maria Montes (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) drew a leadoff walk, and two batters later Herrick and Ford each singled, loading the bases before Raptors' sophomore right-handed pitcher Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J.) induced a pop-out to end the inning.
 
That would be the turning point for the game, as the Raptors scored four in the top of the second, taking a 5-0 lead before NJCU had a chance to respond.
 
The Knights went in order in the second and third, before Herrick and Almonte both got on base in the fourth, only to be wiped out by a double play to end the rally. Camden made it 8-0 with three runs in the fourth and added two more in the fifth to put NJCU's backs up against the eight-run rule. Byrnes closed things out with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth.
 
Byrnes improved to 4-3 with the shutout effort, fanning four (one walk) against four hits. Sophomore shortstop Nina Arroyo (Delran, N.J.) had five RBIs for Camden, batting 3-for-3 with one run. Freshman left fielder Kimmy Musarra (Millville, N.J.) scored three times and freshman right fielder Karlie Kennedy (Bellmawr, N.J.) scored twice. Herrick had two of NJCU's four hits.
 
Game 2: Rutgers-Camden 7, NJCU 0
In game two, the Knights turned to senior ace Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) in the circle, and the two teams were locked for three innings, as Mezey and RCU senior righty Kendra Pfister (Dacula, Ga.) traded zeros.
 
The Knights challenged in the second, as Ford once again got on base with a leadoff single, moving to second on a sacrifice from Almonte and third on a groundout from Mezey. However, the Knights couldn't get the freshman across, and in the fourth, the Raptors made their move.
 
With two outs, the Raptors had runners on first and third, sending the runner from first on a steal that ended in a rundown but not before the first run of the game crossed the plate to give RCU the 1-0 lead.
 
The Raptors just added from there, collecting two runs each in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, with the Knights collecting hits here and there but not getting a runner past second as the Raptors closed out game two of the doubleheader, outhitting NJCU, 7-5.
 
Ford was 3-for-3 for NJCU and led all players in hits. Kennedy led Camden with two RBIs, batting 2-for-3 with one run and Musarra scored twice. Freshman second baseman Jordan Howey (Gloucester City, N.J.) was 2-for-2 with a run. Pfister improved to 2-1, striking out six (one walk) in the shutout effort.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Rutgers-Camden: 68th and 69th meetings. The Scarlet Raptors lead the all-time series, 47-22 and have won the past 21 meetings.
• NJCU freshman Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) collected the first hit of her NJCU career.

 
UP NEXT:
The Knights are back at home on Tuesday, April 2 (3 p.m.) hosting nationally No. 9 ranked Kean University (18-3, 0-2 NJAC) for an NJAC doubleheader.
 
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