Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
JERSEY CITY, NJ… For the second consecutive season, New Jersey City University senior right-hander ANDREA DELUCREZIA (Belleville, NJ/St. Mary's-Rutherford) tossed a four-hitter against The College of New Jersey, but the Gothic Knights lost in a pitcher's duel. TCNJ sophomore righty Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) took a perfect game into the seventh inning before giving up a single and a walk, and freshman righty Lauren Fitzsimmons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) came on to record her first career save as the Lions edged NJCU, 2-0 in game two of a New Jersey Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. The Lions won the opener, 8-1.
TCNJ improves to 21-14 overall and 11-5 in the NJAC with two games remaining tomorrow at 12 p.m. in Ewing, NJ against #16 ranked and NJAC-leading Rowan University (14-2). The Lions increased their points total in the NJAC standings to 22 and will finish no worse than fourth in the league. Ramapo College swept Richard Stockton College in their final games of the regular season and also has 22 points. Rowan has 28 points and second-place William Paterson University has 26, as those clubs split a doubleheader on April 25.
NJCU falls to 15-21 overall and 4-12 in the NJAC. By losing 2-0, the Knights have dropped seven games by two or fewer runs and eight by three or less this year. TCNJ leads the all-time series, 24-0.
TCNJ 8, NJCU 1
In game one TCNJ scored twice in the top of the first and that was all the offense the Lions would need as NJCU stranded a runner in scoring position without scoring in each of the first five innings. TCNJ added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, and a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh, taking the contest, 8-1. The Lions outhit NJCU, 14-5. The schools combined to strand 17 runners on base (TCNJ 9, NJCU 8).
Junior shortstop Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) led the Lions with a 2-for-3 effort, three RBIs and her third homerun of the year. Of the Lions' 14 hits, six were for extra bases, including five doubles.
Sophomore first baseman Caitlyn Seamster (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) and Sietsma , the designated player in game one, were each 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and RBI while freshman left fielder Crystal Lee (Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls) finished 2-for-4 with two runs.
Also for the Lions, senior right fielder Kelly Armstrong (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) was 2-for-4 with a double and freshman catcher Michelle Kent (Sparta, NJ/Pope John) was 1-for-3 with a two-run single. Sophomore second baseman Colleen Cawley (Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) scored twice.
Junior left fielder TARA PERRUCCI (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) was 2-for-3 with one run for NJCU while rookie centerfielder NICOLE SARICA (Linden, NJ/Linden) was 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Junior righty Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) earned the win (7-8). In 7.0 innings she allowed one unearned run and five singles with eight strikeouts and two walks. Senior designated righty LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) took the loss (8-11), giving up eight runs and 14 hits, with three strikeouts and no walks.
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning when junior centerfielder Danielle Hagel (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Oakcrest) had an RBI sac bunt to score Lee who was hit by a pitch and stole second. Seamster made it 2-0 with an RBI single. The Lions received an RBI single with two outs in the fourth by Seavers and Sietsma doubled to right center in the fifth, scoring Seamster who doubled in the previous at bat.
Leading 4-0, Cawley was hit by a pitch with two outs in the sixth and Seavers cleared the right field wall for a 6-0 edge.
NJCU failed to score with runners in scoring position five times, including leaving the bases loaded in the second, before finally breaking through with a run in the sixth. Perrucci singled with one out and advanced to third on a pair of errors, before Sarica slipped an infield RBI single to shortstop. But Kent expanded the TCNJ lead with a two-run single in the seventh for the final 8-1 margin.
TCNJ 2, NJCU 0
In game two, Sietsma retired the first 18 batters before her perfect game and no-hitter were broken up when Delfino ripped a 1-2 pitch for a single into left center and Perrucci walked after a seven-pitch battle. The Lions played solid defense behind Sietsma , making several outstanding outfield catches.
Sietsma (4-3) allowed just one hit in 6.0 innings, with three strikeouts and one walk. Fitzsimmons entered with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh. Senior third baseman CHRISTEN HALL (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) represented the go-ahead run but lined an 0-2 pitch at the feet of Fitzsimmons , who reached down to make the grab before turning a double play at second on the sharply hit ball. Skowronski struck out to end the game as the TCNJ rookie earned the six-pitch save. Hall and Skowronski will enter the final doubleheader of the season on Sunday seeking their 100 th career hits; each has 98 in three years.
In defeat, Delucrezia pitched well. She fell to 7-10 overall, but allowed only four hits and two runs with four strikeouts and one walk over exactly 100 pitches.
TCNJ did not have a player with multiple hits. The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Hagel walked and Armstrong lifted a two-out RBI double into left center. TCNJ added an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI double by Lee .
