JERSEY CITY, N.J. | The New Jersey City University (NJCU) dropped a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader to Kean University on Tuesday afternoon at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
Game 1: Kean 10, NJCU 0 (5 inn.)
NJCU (3-18, 1-6) was on the wrong end of a perfect game in game one and was held to no hits and tallied three errors. Elyze Lopez (Reseda, Calif./John F. Kennedy) (1-4) pitched 2.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs on five hits.
Kean (14-13, 3-4) scattered eight hits and scored 10 runs, led by a 3 RBI homer by Samantha Raymond. In the circle, Nikki Lusnia pitched the program's third perfect game, hurling 10 strikeouts in five innings.
The Cougars took advantage of three errors by the Gothic Knights in the first inning and plated four runs to jump ahead early. Ashley Weber put herself in scoring position with a double before Kiley Allen brought her home with a single through the left side.
Kean scored four more runs over the next three innings to enact the mercy rule to end the game in five innings.
Game 2: Kean 11, NJCU 3 (5 inn.)
NJCU (3-19, 1-7) used five hits to plate three runs and tallied just one error in the field. Kiara Taylor (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) led the Gothic Knights with two hits and 2 RBI in the loss. Maggie Martin (Spring Lake Heights, N.J./Manasquan) (1-10) went 2.1 innings and struck out a batter.
Kean (15-13, 4-4) was led by Weber, who finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Raymond (5-5) went the distance and struck out six batters.
An Allen ground out brought home Brianna Sciulli, who earlier reached via a lead-off triple. After taking a 1-0 lead, the teams went quiet in the second before Kean exploded for eight runs in the third. The Cougars added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth before NJCU rallied in the bottom of the fifth.
The rally for the Gothic Knights started with an error that allowed Jaeda Figueroa (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) to reach safely. Back-to-back singles by Borza and Emma Hanlon (Highland, N.Y./Highland) loaded the bases before another error allowed NJCU to plate its first run of the game. Taylor then brought in a pair of runs with a single to right field before the game came to a close via an infield pop-up.
Up next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Saturday, April 11, when they host Rowan University at 1:00 pm.
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