JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | As the regular season winds to an end, the New Jersey City University softball team was swept by No. 15 ranked The College of New Jersey Lions on April 25, falling 13-0 in the opener and 20-3 in the second half of the New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader. With the wins, the Lions clinched the 2019 NJAC regular season title and top seed in the NJAC Tournament.
 
TCNJ improved to 28-6 (15-1 NJAC) with the wins, tossing a combined no-hitter in game one and seeing the bats explode for a seven-run second and nine-run third in game two. With the losses, NJCU falls to 4-30 (0-16 NJAC) on the season with four games (two NJAC) remaining in their season. Both games were five innings in length.
 
NJCU seniors Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) and Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) each had multi-hit efforts in the second game; Gavin notched the 111th hit of her career and is 11th in school history.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 13, NJCU 0 (5 innings)
In the first game of the day, the Knights turned to Amber Hunter (Piscataway, NJ/Arts (Newark)) in the circle, and the sophomore righty pitched well early in the game, letting the Lions put the ball in play, but the defense did not back her up. Through the first four innings, Hunter allowed only one earned run, but the Lions took advantage of six NJCU errors to take a 7-0 lead through four.
 
On the other side of things, TCNJ sophomore pitcher Alanna Namit (Mountainside, N.J.) pitched an excellent game, retiring the first eight hitters of the game before Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) and Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) drew back-to-back walks to break up the perfect game in the third.
 
That would be it for NJCU baserunners for the game, however, as Namit got another four outs before handing things over to junior pitcher Kristen Barrera (Bayonne, N.J.) to get the final two outs. It was the second time NJCU was no-hit this season (Montclair State, April 16). Namit struck out nine of the 15 batters she faced in 4.1 innings before Barrera fanned one.
 
Sophomore right fielder Katie Winchock (Bridgewater, N.J.) and senior center fielder Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, N.J.) paced the Lions with three hits and two RBIs apiece (3-for-4) and Winchock scored twice, helping spark the six-run fifth that put TCNJ ahead 13-0 for good.
 
Sophomore left fielder Allie Immerso (Brick, N.J.) scored three times. Junior Annalise Suitovsky (Warren Township, N.J.) came off the bench at designated player to drive in two runs, batting 2-for-3 with one run. Sophomore third baseman Lauren Conroy (Aberdeen, N.J.) had two doubles, batting 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Elyse Nardozza (Pennington, N.J.) was 2-for-2 with two runs.                   
GAME 2: TCNJ 20, NJCU 3 (5 innings)
The NJCU bats came alive early in the second half of Thursday's doubleheader, but unfortunately for the Knights, the Lions bats found a new level as well, securing a 20-3 victory in game two.
 
The Lions got on the board via a two-run homer from senior catcher Jess McGuire (Stockton, N.J.) in the first inning, but the Knights had an answer ready in the bottom half of the frame.
 
After two quick outs, the Knights bats awoke, with Gavin, freshman third baseman Emma Herrick (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial), Mezey, and junior left fielder Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) rattling off four straight hits, tallying two runs to tie the game up, and snap a 23-inning scoreless drought.
 
The response from TCNJ was swift, however, as Winchock and Bennett continued to hurt the Knights, with a pair of doubles highlighting a seven-run top of the second inning. That lead expanded with nine more runs in the top of the third, with Conroy, whose glove shone all game, leaving the yard as part of the damage.
 
Despite the 18-2 deficit, the Knights showed good, positive energy in the bottom of the third, and their first three batters all reached base, with Mezey knocking in Gavin for the senior combo special.
 
The Lions collected one more homer in the fourth, this one from Bennett, and closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth for the conference sweep.  
 
Gavin batted 2-for-3 with two runs and Mezey went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
 
Conroy, Bennett and Winchock each produced four RBIs while McGuire and freshman second baseman Camryn Davies (Chatham, N.J.) had two RBIs apiece. Conroy and Bennett each batted 3-for-4 with three runs. Winchock was 2-for-4 with two runs. Nardozza went 2-for-4 with two runs. Junior shortstop Megan Mayernik (Columbus, N.J.) was 2-for-4 with three runs. Seven different Lions scored at least twice.
 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays their final NJAC games of the season, heading to Galloway, N.J. on Saturday, April 25 to take on Stockton University (20-18, 6-10 NJAC) in an important conference game for the Ospreys. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
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