Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University softball team was swept by the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark on April 18 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Newark arms were able to keep the Gothic Knight bats in check all afternoon, winning the opening game of the doubleheader, 8-1 and taking game two by a score of 6-1.
 
With the wins, Newark moves closer to the final seed for the NJAC playoffs (now one game back of Stockton), improving to 5-7 in the conference, and 14-20 overall. With the loss, NJCU drops to 0-12 in the NJAC and 4-26 overall. The Raiders burned the Knights with two outs on multiple occasions on the day, scoring 11 of their combined 14 runs with two gone, while NJCU went 3-for-21 with runners on base for the day.
 
The twinbill was originally scheduled to be played in Newark before moving to Jersey City the day prior; Newark still batted second as the home team in both games.
 
GAME 1: Rutgers-Newark 8, NJCU 1
The Raiders turned to their ace for game one, freshman righty Jackie Lara (Ridgefield, N.J.) in the circle, and she answered the call, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. She struck out eight but hit four batters, the most efficient way of getting on base for the Knights.
 
The Knights turned to sophomore righty Amber Hunter (Piscataway, NJ/Arts (Newark)), who held the Raiders off the board in the first, and got two outs in the second before four singles and an error gave Newark the early 4-0 lead.
 
NJCU got one back in the top of the third, as sophomore shortstop Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep) drew a one-out walk, reaching second on a wild pitch before junior left fielder Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) came up big with a two-out single. The throw beat Almonte to the plate, but she did well to avoid the tag and cut the lead to 4-1.
 
The Raiders got one back in the bottom half, but made their big move in the sixth, scoring three more, and finishing off the win, 8-1. Only two of Hunter's eight runs allowed were earned.
 
Scrimo batted 2-for-4 with one RBI and freshman first baseman Emma Herrick (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) was 1-for-2 for NJCU. Senior center fielder Samantha Hoffman (Metuchen, N.J.) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run for RN while junior third baseman Alyssa Morales (Newark, N.J.) scored twice and drove in two runs (1-for-3). Sophomore designated player Julie Contravo (Hainesport, N.J.) and freshman first baseman Riley Scuralli (Newton, N.J.) each had two hits.
 
GAME 2: Rutgers-Newark 6, NJCU 1
The Knights got on the board first in game two, as they used their first ups to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Senior third baseman/catcher Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) got NJCU going right off the bat, with a towering double over the centerfielder's head, and she would be brought around one batter later, as Herrick shot one to right field, giving the Knights the early 1-0 lead.
 
However, the Raiders response was immediate, and once again most of the damage came with two outs. After a pair of singles bookended a sacrifice bunt, senior right-handed pitcher Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) induced a pop-up, giving the Knights a chance to get out of the inning tied up at 1-1. The Raiders had other plans, tallying four more runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run double from sophomore infielder Emily Bartus (Washington Township, N.J.), ending the first with a 5-1 lead.
 
From there, both pitchers locked in. Mezey gave up only one run the rest of the way for NJCU, while the Raiders didn't give up a single, relying on freshman righty Michelle Capizzano (Kenilworth, N.J.) for three innings, and sophomore righty Paige Masiello (West Milford, N.J.) for the final four innings, clinching the 6-1 victory.
 
Newark had just four hits in the game with Bartus going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run. Six different Gothic Knights had a hit, led by Gavin and Herrick.
 
UP NEXT:
NJCU is scheduled, weather permitting, to host first place The College of New Jersey (24-6, 11-1 NJAC) on Saturday, April 20 for a doubleheader with the first pitch at 1:00 p.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.