JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University softball team wrapped up their 2019 season with their annual Senior Day, honoring six seniors—two of whom were four-year seniors who left lasting imprints on the program during their time with the Gothic Knights—taking the opening game of the non-conference doubleheader against the College of New Rochelle, 5-3, before CNR claimed a split with a game two win (10-1) on May 4 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
 
With the victory, the Knights (5-33) surpass their win mark from the 2018 season while New Rochelle (18-18)—a program that was potentially playing their school's final-ever collegiate game in any sport—kept the possibility of a postseason game alive by maintaining their .500 record with their win in the second half of the doubleheader. New Rochelle will close at the end of the summer. CNR leads the all-time series, 3-1.
 
Senior Stars Successful Swan Songs
Senior catcher Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) collected two hits on the day, driving in a pair of decisive runs in the first game, while senior right-handed pitcher/third baseman Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) got a complete game victory in the opener and tossed four more innings in game two, moving over the 600 career inning mark and setting the NJCU record for most batters faced in a career in the second game.
 
In a potential passing of the softball baton, sophomore shortstop Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep) was a combined 4-for-6 with three runs.
 
GAME 1: NJCU 5, College of New Rochelle 3
After the pre-game Senior Day ceremonies honoring Gavin and Mezey, as well as Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) and Miesha Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), and Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park)—both game one starters locked in early, trading zeroes for the first two and a half innings.
 
It was sophomore righty Gaby Hay (Little River Academy, Texas) who broke first, although it was the Blue Angel defense that betrayed her, as Almonte led off the bottom of the third with a single, eventually coming around to score on a groundout by freshman right fielder Maia Tejada to give the Knights the 1-0 lead.
 
NJCU built on that lead in the fifth, with junior left fielder Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) drawing a leadoff walk, before Almonte and Tejada loaded the bases with singles. Gavin then stepped up in the clutch with a two-out, two-run single through the left side, and Rayo reached on an error that brought in two more, pushing the NJCU lead out to 5-0.
 
That was all the help Mezey would need on her Senior Day, as the Jersey City native allowed three runs (two earned) in the sixth, but shut the door in the seventh to earn the win, breaking a 14-game losing streak for the Gothic Knights. Each pitcher allowed only five hits in the game.
 
Almonte batted 2-for-3 with two runs for NJCU to lead the way and Gavin had the two RBIs. Junior right fielder Victoria Holmes (Franklin, Va.) batted 2-for-3 for CNR.
                   
GAME 2: College of New Rochelle 10, NJCU 1
In the second half of the doubleheader, the Knights turned to Mezey in the circle to start once again, allowing her to reach the historic milestones mentioned above. The senior went four innings, allowing just three runs before handing things over to sophomore Amber Hunter (Piscataway, NJ/Arts (Newark)).
 
For the Blue Angels, junior lefty Valerie Romano (Fullerton, Calif.) was the story in game two, tossing a complete game, allowing just one unearned run on six hits and two walks, while striking out two Knights to earn her sixth win of the season. She also carried CNR at the plate, batting 4-for-4 with three runs and one RBI.
 
The Knights did sprinkle quite a few base runners around, with Almonte ending the season with her third two-hit game in her last four outings, thus finishing the year with a .309 batting average that led the team for 2019. She was 2-for-3 with the only run for NJCU. Tejada had another strong game as well, as she went from one RBI on the season coming into the day and then proceeded to match that total in both of Saturday's games. Rayo drew two walks. Hunter, who spends most of her time in the circle, also collected a hit in her lone at bat, the first hit of her NJCU career.
 
CNR scored three times in the second inning then added four in the fifth to seize a 7-1 lead. Sophomore left fielder Keyceana Moots (San Diego, Calif.) hit a two-run homer in the seventh.
 
Hay and each drove in three runs and batted 2-for-3 while Moots knocked in three runs with her first home run of the season and scored twice, hitting 2-for-4. Holmes and junior shortstop Samantha Gutierrez (Fullerton, Calif.) each had two hits in the game and freshman catcher Ismarie Marrero (Bronx, N.Y.) had two RBIs.
 
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