JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The New Jersey City University softball team hosted Saint Elizabeth University in a rescheduled non-conference matchup this afternoon, April 25. The Gothic Knights split with the Eagles at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, as the Green and Gold put up a 7-0 shutout in game one of the doubleheader, and the Eagles narrowly edged the second, 7-5. In game two, senior Emily Tunney (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) became the 16th Gothic Knight to join the 100-hit club in program history, and now sits at 101 total hits in the Green and Gold after a combined 4-for-8 day at the plate.
Game 1: NJCU 7 - Saint Elizabeth 0
As mentioned, NJCU (11-20) held Saint Elizabeth (14-17) scoreless in the first seven innings of the day. Senior righty Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) (6-9) got the start in the circle, as she struck out five Eagles and allowed just four hits through 7.0 innings of work in the win.
Dabbadie sat down the first three batters of the day in order in the top of the first, and her team immediately went to work in the home half. Tunney led off the day by notching a single for her 98th career hit, just two away from the century mark. Junior infielder Jordan Mendolla (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) would advance Tunney to second with a single of her own to put the Gothic Knights in scoring position. Senior catcher Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) then layed down a bunt to move the runners over, but an Eagles error allowed her to reach while also scoring Tunney and moving Mendolla to third. Saint Elizabeth would get the first out of the inning by striking out the next Green and Gold batter. With one-out and runners on the corners, senior outfielder Hailey Mojica (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) got her first hit of the game with a RBI single to give the Gothic Knights a 2-0 lead. Another run would come across a of couple batters later, and with runners on second and third, sophomore outfielder Natalie Rosales (Union City, N.J./Jose Marti STEM Academy) knocked in the third run of the inning and the fourth NJCU hit of the frame.
The Gothic Knights would score a couple of more in the fourth. With one out, freshman first baseman Emma Grochowski (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) notched the first triple of her career, and just her third extra-base hit in the Green and Gold. Junior utility Cheyenn Fulton (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) drew a walk to put runners on the corners. The Eagles struck out the next Gothic Knight, which set up Mendolla to notch her second hit of the game with a two-out RBI single that extended the lead to 4-0, while also advancing Fulton to third. Another Eagles error allowed Villanueva to reach again, which also allowed the runner from third to score the fifth run of the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mendolla notched her third hit of the day, this time a one-out triple with a runner on first to make it a 6-0 game. She came home on a Villanueva ground-out for the latter's 9th RBI of the season. In the top of the seventh, Dabbadie ended the game just how she started, by retiring the side in order to secure the shutout.
Game 2 Saint Elizabeth 7- NJCU 5
In the bottom of the third inning, Tunney joined the 100-hit club with a one-out double to right center, her ninth double and 12th extra base hit of the season. With four more games left to play, she is four hits away from 15th place on the all time list.
Saint Elizabeth came out hot in the second game. Through 3.5 innings, they scored six runs on eleven hits to take a 6-0 lead, while holding the Gothic Knights to just two hits. NJCU slowly clawed their way back into the game despite not getting going offensively until the bottom of the fourth. Junior catcher Abby Castro (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) led off that inning with a double to center field. A wild pitch to Mojica advanced Castro to third, and the subsequent ground out scored the latter to put the Gothic Knights on the board. NJCU scored their next run in the fifth, and it would be Castro involved again. With Mendolla at third after hitting another double and then advancing to third on the next batter grounding out, Castro reached on the first Eagles error of the game to make it 6-2.
St. Elizabeth got their seventh in the top of the sixth, but the Gothic Knights would close the gap in home half. With a runner at first, Tunney notched hit number 101 in style: an RBI triple to left center for the third Green and Gold run of the game. Mendolla matched her RBI triple with one of her own, rounding out what was a stellar 6-for-7 day at the plate for her. She came across to score on the second Eagles error of the inning, cuttin g the Eagles lead to 7-5 before the side was retired heading into the seventh. Unfortunately, the Gothic Knights would fall just short despite retiring the side in order in the top of the inning, as they too were retired in three batters to end the game.
Highlights:
- NJCU finished a combined 19-for-61 as a squad (.311 BA), including six doubles and four triples between both games.
- Mendolla's day at the plate was some of her best work this season. Her Three hits in game two is a season best for the junior, while two doubles in game two and two RBI's in game one are also season bests, respectively.
- Senior righty Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) got the start in the circle in the second game, while also batting for herself in her first at-bats of the season. In addition to striking out six Eagles, Miller also notched her first hit of the season by-way of a double to left center. It's the 41st hit of her collegiate career and the 13th double in the Green and Gold.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights are on the road for the final New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup of the season, as they are set to take on Stockton University on Saturday, April 27th. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
