UNION, N.J. — The New Jersey City University softball team played its third and fourth games of the season this afternoon and evening, Tuesday, April 6, against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opposition Kean University. The Gothic Knights dropped both games against the Cougars, who entered the week ranked eighth in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 Poll.

Game 1
Junior outfielder Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) was the star for NJCU (0-4, 0-4 NJAC) in game one as her squad fell 10-2 in five innings. Ayala was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, notching one RBI and scoring a run. Junior first base Emma Herrick (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) also had a good game swinging the lumber, as she went 1-for-2 with a RBI. Rookie hurler Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oak Crest) got the start in the circle once again for the Gothic Knights. She tossed 4.1 innings in the defeat, giving up nine earned on 10 hits, while striking out four batters. Tunney also went 1-for-2 at the plate.

Trailing 7-0 in the third, NJCU awoke in the top half of the inning to score a pair and make it 7-2. Junior outfielder Brianna Loughlin (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) led off with an error on the Cougars' (12-0, 2-0 NJAC) shortstop. In the following at-bat, a sacrifice bunt from fellow junior outfielder Gisselle Vigil (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) allowed Loughlin to advance all the way to third with one out. Ayala then plated her in the next at-bat with a RBI single to right. A couple at-bats later, with two outs, senior shortstop Alissa Bikowski (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Then Tunney sent a single down the line in right to juice the bases for Herrick, who blasted a RBI single to center to score Ayala. Unfortunately Bikowski was thrown out at the plate trying to score as well to end the scoring opportunity and NJCU's half of the third inning.

Game 2
Early on in this one, neither team could really get anything going as it was scoreless through the first two-and-a-half innings. Tunney once again got the nod in the circle for the Gothic Knights and allowed just a walk in the first. She got through the second unscathed as well, allowing one hit, one walk and hit a batter, but kept it scoreless. Unfortunately, an error and a trio of Kean hits turned into a three-spot for the home squad in the bottom of the third to make it 3-0. Rookie Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) entered the game to pitch the fourth, but the Cougars put up five more runs to go up 8-0. After a scoreless top of the fifth, Kean came away with the win.

What's Next
For the first time since May 4, 2019, the Gothic Knights will host a home doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on Robert. F. McNulty Memorial Field. NJCU will welcome NJAC foe Rowan University to Jersey City for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10, starting at 1:00 p.m., with game two scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch. Make sure to watch all the action live via GothicVision and follow along via live stats. As reminder to our limited spectators, please reference NJCU Athletics' Spring 2021 Outdoor Sports Spectator Policy.