JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University softball team returned back home to the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, Friday, April 28, as the Gothic Knights hosted New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Rowan University. The bats for the Profs proved to be a huge challenge as NJCU dropped both games in five innings, 9-0 and 13-1.
GAME ONE:
Jersey City (13-23, 2-16 NJAC) faced a tough task taking on the #14 ranked Rowan University (34-4, 17-1 NJAC) as the Profs pressured NJCU from the very beginning. Junior pitcher Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) got the start in the first game, as the score did not reflect her day in the circle. Rowan was very aggressive on the basepaths in both games to start, but set the tempo early stealing second base just three pitches into the game. A wild pitch after from Dabbadie set up a relatively unusual scenario as pitch later, a sacrifice fly to junior second baseman Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) occurred with her being camped under the ball on the edge of the dirt with Rowan beating the throw at home taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Aggressiveness only carried on into the second, as this time the profs produced two more runs only on one hit as NJCU had two errors in the inning. NJCU trailed 3-0 and looked to tie things up in the bottom half of the second inning, after sophomore catcher Abby Castro (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) and Sophomore third baseman Mya Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) walked with two outs, putting the tying run at the plate. Unfortunately bad luck stroke the Gothic Knights as freshman outfielder Natalie Rosales (Union City, N.J./Jose Marti STEM Academy) drilled a line drive to right field for a base hit, but on the play Castro had a rough transition rounding third and got tagged out shy of home plate allowing Rowan to maintain their three run lead.
Unfortunately for NJCU as it turned out that was the best chance the remainder of the game to score runs, as despite a shutout inning in the third from Dabbadie, things unraveled in the fourth, as three more crucial errors played a part in Rowan hitting a three run home run and adding five more runs in total, taking an 8-0 lead. The Profs added one more run for good measure in the top of fifth forcing NJCU to score at least two runs in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game alive.
NJCU was able to tally one more hit in their last ups as Rosales ripped a line drive off the pitcher's glove giving herself a two hit game, and creating opportunity for the Gothic Knights bats to keep the game going. The Green and Gold though ran out of outs, flying out twice to end the game sealing the 9-0 victory for Rowan.
GAME TWO:
Rowan opened up the second game to a similar tone as this time junior pitcher Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) got the start for NJCU. Just like in the first game Rowan immediately after getting a hit, stole second base and was just sixty feet away from scoring after a wild pitch. This time another unusual scenario occurred as Castro attempting to pick off the runner at third sailed the throw high, making a rare throwing error, resulting in the 1-0 lead for Rowan.
The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the first as Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) and Miller both singled, putting runners on base attempting to tie the game. A batter later Castro reached on a fielder's choice, but for the second time saw her cut down on the basepaths in two games as Rowan picked her off to end the inning. This momentum is all the Profs need as while the bats exploded, forcing NJCU to utilize four different pitchers in the second inning. Rowan opened up the gap strongly as after thirty seven minutes went by, as they tallied twelve runs on nine hits along with forcing two errors from the Gothic Knights defense, boasting a 13-0 lead.
NJCU seemingly had another chance to score a run in the bottom of the fourth as Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) again reached base, this time virtue of an error. After, Dabbadie singled, moving her to second, and NJCU was seemingly on its way to score its first run of the game, but and instance of déjà vu occurred again as Villanueva too was cut off on her way home, creating the first out of the inning. Despite having two runners in scoring position after, NJCU was unable to bring home a run.
Finally in the bottom of the fifth, NJCU had its last ups, and finally produced its lone run of the afternoon. Junior outfielder Nicole Weinbel (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) reached on a walk, and then three pitches later was on her horse, scoring easily at home, as sophomore first baseman Grace Angulo (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus), who entered in the late portions of the game drilled an RBI double off the fence, ending things off on a high note. NJCU did not score another run in the inning and lost the game 13-1.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights round out its season Tuesday, May 2, as NJCU hosts Lehman College at the Gerrity for a non-conference double-header. The Gothic Knights look to end the season on a high note, as this will be the first time since prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 both teams will face off. The Green and Gold are 11-1 all time against Lehman.
