NAPLES, Fla. — The New Jersey City University softball squad opened up its 2022 campaign with a pair of games on the southwest coast of Florida today, Monday, March 7, as part of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. NJCU took on Martin Luther College in an early-morning matchup, but fell to the Knights in a tight 6-4 affair. Then, in an afternoon meeting with New Jersey foe Drew University — one delayed midway through by a downpour from the skies — the Gothic Knights were topped 8-0 in five innings.

Jersey City (0-2) fell behind early against Martin Luther (1-7) as the Knights scored three runs over the first two innings. The Green and Gold, however, got themselves back into it with runs in the home halves of the third and fourth innings. With two outs, the Gothic Knights had the bases juiced thanks to a single, an error and a walk. At that moment, freshman Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) drew a walk of her own to force in her first-career RBI and make it 3-1 MLC at the time. In the next inning, junior Hailey Mojica (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) managed to get on thanks to a fielding error at third and then, in the following at-bat, rookie Abby Castro (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) made herself known by blasting a run-scoring double to the gap in left to make it a one-run game.

After Martin Luther got one back in the top of the fifth to make it 4-2, NJCU came back and tied it up in the home half. Senior Alissa Bikowski (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) led off the inning with a double to center, followed by a single from sophomore Skylah Cartwright (Willingboro, N.J./Burlington County Tech) to put runners on the corners with no outs. Enter senior Emma Herrick (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial). The team captain proceeded to blast a double and plate two runs — the second scoring after a strong throw home to get Cartwright was fumbled by the Knights' catcher — to tie it up at 4-4.

Neither team scored in the sixth, but unfortunately a two-run home run in the top of the seventh sealed the win for Martin Luther. Sophomore hurler Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) had the start in the pitching circle for NJCU and, after giving up a few runs in the first two innings, had settled down over the next four, only allowing one run, before the Knights' game-winning homer in the seventh. She finished with a whopping 11 strikeouts over the full 7.0 innings, by far a career-best mark.

Against the Rangers (6-0), the Gothic Knights were able to keep them silent for the first couple of innings. However, Drew managed to explode for six runs in the bottom of the third, and NJCU was never able to close that gap.

Highlights:
- Castro ended the day 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
- Cartwright, freshman Victoria Devoto (Ridgefield, N.J./Immaculate Conception), sophomore Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) and her younger sister Mya, Bikowski, Herrick and sophomores Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oak Crest) and Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) all notched hits on the day as well.
- Castro, Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) and Herrick all recorded RBI.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action at the Lee County Sports Complex tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8, for another twin bill. They first take on the Tigers of the Rochester Institute of Technology at 9:00 a.m. Then, at 11:00 a.m., NJCU squares off with Kenyon College.