Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey softball team strengthened its post-season hopes with a doubleheader sweep of visiting New Jersey City University on Saturday and in the process gave head coach Sally Miller her 350th career victory.
The Lions plated the only run in a 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh to win the opening game, and completed the sweep in dramatic fashion, winning 7-3 on a grand slam in their final at bat.
TCNJ improved to 20-14 on the season and 8-6 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while the Gothic Knights slipped to 14-18 overall and 4-10 in conference play.
The two wins put Miller’s career mark at the head of TCNJ’s program at 350-157-2 and she is in her 13th season.
Game 1: TCNJ 1, NJCU 0
TCNJ’s Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) and NJCU’s duo of Andrea Delucrezia (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary’s-Rutherford) and Lacey Skowronski (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) locked up in a pitcher’s dual in the opening game with the Lions plating the only run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Junior Camille Heller (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) led off that inning with a double and freshman Kathy Sikora (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) came in to run for Heller and scored two batters later when Minervini singled through the left side for the 1-0 victory.
Minervini fired a one-hitter for her 10th victory of the season and she finished with four strikeouts.
Minervini received a solid defensive play from shortstop Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) in the sixth inning as the Gothic Knights had runners on the corners and nobody out. Seavers made a diving catch on a line drive by pinch-hitter Krystina Kingston (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) and then doubled a runner off from third quickly ending the threat.
Delucrezia pitched five scoreless inning allowing just four hits, while Skowronski suffered the loss in relief.
Sophomore Rachel Greeby (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) and Minervini paced the Lions at the plate as each player picked up a pair of hits.
Sophomore Tara Pellucci (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) singled in the second inning for NJCU’s lone hit.
Game 2: TCNJ 7, NJCU 3
TCNJ’s offense picked things up in the second game as Greeby started the scoring in the top of the first with double into the corner in right field driving in a pair of runs and sophomore Danielle Hagel (Egg Harbor, NJ/Oakcrest) followed with a ground out that increased the advantage to 3-0.
That score stood until the bottom of sixth when the Gothic Knights pushed three runs across. Stephanie Gomez (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) brought in the first of those runs getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, before Danielle Delfino (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) tied the game with a two-run single to center field.
TCNJ’s first baseman Christina Lizzi (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) prevented NJCU from taking the lead making a diving stop on a line drive that was headed into right field to end the inning.
That defensive play proved pivotal as Hagel blasted a two-out grand slam to center field for a commanding 7-3 lead in the top of the seventh. The home run was her third of the season.
Minervini pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn her second win of the day after starter freshman Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) went into the sixth inning.
Sophomore Christen Hall (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) had a good game at the plate for the Gothic Knights going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
TCNJ will back on the field on Tuesday, April 22 with a doubleheader at Rutgers-Newark, while the
Gothic Knights return home on that same day to face Ramapo College.
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