JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University softball team closed out its 2022 season on Tuesday afternoon, May 3, with a doubleheader split against Baruch College at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Gothic Knights used a late-inning comeback to take the 3-2 victory in game one, while the Bearcats came away victorious, 6-2, in the bottom half of the doubleheader. For the first time since 2017, NJCU reached double-digit victories.
Prior to the game, both teams came together in honor of Lauren Bennett of the James Madison University softball team, as well as any other student-athletes that may be struggling with mental health issues in silence. Both teams also wore purple ribbons throughout the doubleheader in honor of the JMU softball team's colors, as well as mental health awareness.
Game 1: NJCU 3, Baruch 2
Once action got underway, Jersey City (10-27) had sophomore
Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) take to the circle for the start and the righthander threw yet another non-conference gem against the Bearcats (21-15). She proceeded to toss her 10th complete game of the season and 13th of her career, going the full 7.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts. Dabbadie finishes the year fifth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with 103 strikeouts.
Things got started in the top of the first when a pass ball, a whoopsie-daisy double to center and a a groundout allowed Baruch to push two runs across. The Gothic Knights got something going in the bottom of the third as junior second baseman
Hailey Mojica (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) led off with a double to center. Senior shortstop
Alissa Bikowski (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) reached two batters later on a walk. Then, with two outs, senior first baseman
Emma Herrick (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) hit a single through the left side to load up the bases. Unfortunately NJCU was unable to convert.
Two innings later in the bottom of the fifth, Jersey City managed to scratch across one run to cut the deficit in half. With one out, senior centerfielder
Emily Ruiz (Jersey City, N.J./County Prep) had her at-bat extended thanks to a dropped foul ball by the Bearcat catcher, and she took advantage by knocking a single to the gap in left. Ruiz proceeded to steal second to move into scoring position. Then, Bikowski flied out to center and Ruiz advanced to third safely, but the throw from the cutoff at second was off-target and Ruiz crossed home plate safely to make it 2-1.
Up next for NJCU was the bottom of the sixth, during which the home team plated two runs to take a 3-2 lead, which the squad would not surrender in the win. Dabbadie kicked it off with a one-out walk and was replaced by a pinch runner, freshman
Victoria Devoto (Ridgefield, N.J./Immaculate Conception), who immediately stole second. Senior designated player
Brianna Loughlin (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) then reached safely and advanced to second thanks to a throwing error at short, while allowed Devoto to come all the way around to score. Freshman catcher
Abby Castro (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) reached on a fielder's choice next, and sophomore
Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oak Crest) came in as a pinch runner, quickly stealing second. Freshman third baseman
Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) then knocked in the eventual game-winning run with a sky-high single to shallow left. Dabbadie closed out the win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
Game 2: Baruch 6, NJCU 2
Sophomore
Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) started in the circle in this one and went 6.0 innings, allowing three earned and striking out four. The Bearcats scored first in the top of the third, however the Green and Gold got it back in the next half inning to tie it up at 1-1. Ruiz started it off by reaching on an error at first, then stole second and two batters later, was plated by Herrick with a single down the third base line.
Tunney came in for NJCU in relief in the top of the fifth, but the Bearcats got to her for three runs (just one earned) to take a 4-1 lead. Jersey City manufactured one run in the next half inning to make it 4-2. Bikowski reached on an error at short, making her way to second and then found herself on third after a wild pitch. Senior rightfielder
Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) brought her home with a groundout. Unfortunately, that was the end of the offense for NJCU on the day as Baruch tacked on two more in the top of the seventh.
