MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University softball team (1-2) struggled to throw strikes on day two of its spring trip to The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 10. They handed out a combined 23 walks, with four hits batsman, as they fell 19-1 to Shenandoah University (5-5) and 10-2 to MacMurray College (1-3).
 
Sophomore first baseman Emma Herrick (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) led the offensive attack for the Knights on the day, collecting a combined three hits, with a run and an RBI over the two games. Freshman shortstop Arianna Diaz (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the second game, with junior third baseman Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep) and senior catcher Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) collecting the other run and RBI, respectively, for the Knights on the day.
 
Game 1: Shenandoah 19, NJCU 1 (4 innings)
In the first game of the first half of Tuesday's double bill, the Knights found themselves in a quick hole, as the first six batters reached — five via walk and one via hit by pitch — before a quick pitching change was required. Sophomore Maria Montes (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) came on to relieve, allowing only one of the inherited runners to score, but Shenandoah was already ahead, 5-0. With the game ending after four innings, the contest does not count towards the win-loss standings for either team.
 
In the bottom half of the frame, Almonte got the Knights a leadoff single, coming around to score one batter later on a Herrick single to right center. 
 
However, that would be it for the NJCU offense, as junior starter Morgan Henley (Poquoson, Va.) and freshman reliever Lacey Cooper (Smithsburg, Md.) combined to retire the final 11 NJCU hitters.
 
For the Hornets, it was a complete effort, with 13 different batters reaching, 12 different scoring, and eight different driving in a run. Henley was also at the center of things on the offensive side of it, scoring three times and driving in two.
 
Game 2: MacMurray 10, NJCU 2 (5 Innings)
In the second game of the day, the Knights bounced back out of the gates to take an early lead. This time it was Diaz who got things going with an early single, which was followed up by singles from Herrick and Scrimo to put the Knights ahead 2-0 in the top of the first. 
 
The Highlanders had an immediate answer, however, with four hits and a costly error bringing around three runs. The Knights bats went quiet after that, with a few hits sprinkled in here and there, but no more runs crossing the plate for NJCU.
 
For MacMurray, they were just getting started, though. They scored three more in the second, one more in the third, and two more in the fifth to walk it off for the shortened victory.
 
The top of the lineup led the Highlanders, with their 2-5 hitters all collecting two hits each, led by MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Ill.) who reached base all three times, with a run and two RBIs. 
 
NJCU and MacMurray split two games in the tournament with the Knights winning 12-9 on March 9.
 
UP NEXT:
The Knights play a doubleheader against Holy Family (Wis.) (0-4) at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on the third day of The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
 
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