JERSEY CITY, N.J. — For the first time since April 29, 2017 — and for the first time in head coach
Ashley Martinez' tenure — the New Jersey City University softball squad captured a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory today, Saturday, April 2. The Gothic Knights were trailing 5-0 entering the bottom of sixth in game one at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex against Rutgers-Camden, however a five-run rally tied it up and the Green and Gold Completed the comeback with a walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win, 6-5. The Scarlet Raptors would take game two, 10-0, in six innings to split the doubleheader.
Game 1: NJCU 6, Rutgers-Camden 5
NJCU (9-10, 1-1 NJAC) rode the right arm of sophomore pitcher
Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) to victory in game one as the hurler improved her record to 4-4 in the pitching circle with the victory. She tossed all 7.0 innings for her seventh complete game of the season and 12th of her career, striking out four batters and dropping her season ERA to 3.78, which is second on the squad.
Things got started as Rutgers-Camden (4-7, 1-1 NJAC) scored an unearned run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Scarlet Raptors then put up two more runs — one unearned — in the top of the second to make it 3-0. Neither squad made a peep offensively again until the top of the sixth when Rutgers put two more tallies on the board to make it 5-0.
Things seemed hopeless for the Gothic Knights, but coach Martinez and the Green and Gold knew better. With one out and pinch runner freshman
Lisbeth Bernabe (Passaic, N.J./Passaic) on first, sophomore designated player
Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oak Crest) reached on a walk. Immediately thereafter, Miller helped her own cause with a bases-clearing double to the gap in left to make it 5-2 — she got to third on the throw home. Freshman third baseman
Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) followed next with a one-run single to the left side to make it 5-3. Then, with two outs and runners on second and third, junior second baseman
Hailey Mojica (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) came to the plate for arguably the largest at-bat of her collegiate career — and she delivered with two-run single to tie it up!
After Miller kept the Scarlet Raptors off the board in the top of the seventh to keep the score tied, NJCU came back in the home half looking for that one decisive run to win it. Senior captain first baseman
Emma Herrick (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) led off with a walk. Tunney reached next on a bunt single to the pitcher and Miller then followed with a walk to load the bases. Looking to end it, Villanueva grounded into a fielder's choice, but Rutgers nailed the runner at home to keep it tied for the moment. Then, the older sister, sophomore catcher
Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic), came to the plate. She launched a ball to shallow right for the sac fly attempt. Tunney ran home but the throw beat her by a mile, however it was mishandled by the Scarlet Raptors' catcher and Tunney scored to end it, giving the Gothic Knights the 6-5 victory.
Game 2: Rutgers-Camden 10, NJCU 0 (6 innings)
Sophomore
Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) got the nod in this one for Jersey City and the right-hander had a good day in the circle. She went the distance for the sixth time this season and ninth time in her career. She struck out eight batters and allowed five earned in the loss. Rutgers-Camden scored one in the top of the first via a dropped third strike passed ball that allowed the runner to score from third. The Scarlet Raptors scored two more in the second on an error and a double. They plated two more during a pickle in the third to make it 5-0, before another two unearend scored on one play in the fourth. Rutgers-Camden scratched home their final three runs in the sixth via a fielder's choice and a two-run single to make it 10-0.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action for another NJAC doubleheader, this time on the road in Newark, N.J., on Tuesday afternoon, April 5, against Rutgers-Newark beginning at 3:00 p.m.
