NAPLES, Fla. – The New Jersey City University softball team competed in a pair of contests on Tuesday, March 8, as the Gothic Knights took part in their second day of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. Jersey City first faced off with the Rochester Institute of Technology, but fell to the Tigers 13-3 and then followed up with an 8-0 loss to Kenyon College in the second game of the day.
 
Game 1 vs. RIT
After falling behind 3-0 in the first half of the first inning, NJCU (0-4) scored a pair in the home half to make it 3-2. Sophomore Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) reached on a one-out error at short and then freshman Lisbeth Bernabe (Passaic, N.J./Passaic) came in to pinch run. Sophomore Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) drew a walk to put two runners on and then her classmate, Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oak Crest), smacked a one-run single to right to make it 3-1. Freshman Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) continued her strong start to her collegiate career with a sacrifice fly to center to plate her sister Mariah from third, but the inning ended with Tunney out at second on the relay.
 
After the Tigers (3-3) scored three more in the second, Jersey City answered with another run in the bottom half to make it 6-3. With freshman Abby Castro (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) on first and one out, senior Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) walked to put two runners on. Then came a wild pitch to move both runners over before freshman Victoria Devoto (Ridgefield, N.J./Immaculate Conception) came up and grounded out to second, registering the first RBI of her collegiate career. RIT put up three in the third and four in the fifth, unfortunately, to put an end to the game at 13-3. Miller tossed all 5.0 innings for NJCU in the loss. Overall, at the plate, Tunney was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) was 1-for-1 with two walks and a run.
 
Game 2 vs. Kenyon
Tunney made the start in the circle for NJCU in this one, tossing 4.0 innings and striking out a pair in the defeat. Kenyon (5-1) took the early 5-0 lead after two innings, and then led 7-0 after three. Miller had a 1-for-2 performance at the plate, lodging a double, while sophomore Bianca Figueroa (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) made her season debut and was 1-for-2 as well.
 
Up Next:
Jersey City returns to action for another doubleheader tomorrow morning, Wednesday, March 9. The Gothic Knights head over to the North Collier Sports Complex for the first time this week and, at 9:00 a.m., begin the day against Elms College. Then, scheduled for a 11:00 a.m. first pitch is NJCU's match-up with Rockford University.