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WAYNE, N.J.  – It was Senior Day at the Pioneer Softball Field, but it was a freshman who nearly stole the show. Rookie righty Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) was just two outs short of a perfect game as WP (23-13, 10-8 NJAC) took game one 7-1, while rolling to a 9-1 triumph in game two of a twin bill sweep of New Jersey City (4-30, 0-18 NJAC) April 28.
 
Softball honored its three seniors, Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty), Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) and Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) following the doubleheader, a trio that combined to post a 79-38 record and a .331 batting average over their careers.
 
The Pioneers also clinched a berth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed. WP will travel to take on top-seeded No. 25 The College of New Jersey Tuesday, May 1 in Ewing, N.J., in the opening round.
 
Game One | WP 7, NJCU 1
 
It was 19 up, 19 down for Byrnes before the first Gothic Knight reached base, a one-out double off the bat of senior center fielder Julie Squeo in the top of the seventh. The Cherry Hill, N.J., native allowed an RBI single two batters later but went on to finish the inning, pitching her 11th complete game of the season with just 79 pitches. The freshman struck out eight, walked none and made a stellar snag of a line drive to preserve what was a perfect game in the top of the fifth.
 
The Pioneer offense gave Byrnes plenty of breathing room, scoring in four different innings with the help of 10 hits, jumping ahead for good with two runs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore right ielder Ryan Tighe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) singled to left and reached second on a deep drive to centerfield off the bat of junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), pushing NJCU's outfielder all the way to the wall to make the play before having the ball carom off her glove. A fielding error on a grounder to second moved each runner up a base before Lupica delivered a two-RBI single through the left side.
 
WP made it 3-0 an inning later after Griffith blistered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Lutas who had reached on a fielding error by the NJCU left fielder earlier in the inning.
 
Lupica started a two-run rally this time, singling to center in the bottom of the fifth one batter before coming all the way around to score on Hickman's single through the right side that went through the legs of the Gothic Knights' right fielder. Hickman took advantage of another miscue, scoring on a passed ball for the 5-0 lead.
 
Softball completed its scoring with two more in the bottom of the sixth. Griffith tagged a 3-2 offering into the gap in left center before legging out a triple and scoring on a wild pitch. Molnar coaxed a walk, moved to second on freshman first baseman Caitlyn Massaro (Madison, N.J./Madison)'s sacrifice bunt and then reached third on a Lupica fly out to left. Hickman brought her classmate home for the 7-0 lead with an RBI single into left.
 
Byrnes improved to 16-5 on the season with her second-most efficient 7.0 inning victory of the year.
 
Junior Christina Mezey (4-28) allowed seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits and four walks.
 
Griffith tied Molnar for the conference lead in triples with seven on the season after going 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, stolen base and a triple. Lupica and Hickman both went 2-for-4, scoring a run apiece.
 
Squeo scored NJCU's only run after being plated by an RBI single by freshman first baseman Gianna Benacquista.
 
Game Two | WP 9, NJCU 1 (Five Innings)
 
The Pioneers needed just 70 minutes to take game two in five innings, generating 12 runs while Lupica allowed only an unearned run in 4.0 frames of work to earn the victory.
 
WP pushed across three runs on four hits and an error in the bottom of the second. With one out, Molnar legged out an infield single to shortstop and stole second. Lupica was struck out swinging, but a passed ball on strike three allowed her to reach first. NJCU's catcher attempted to throw her out at first but proceeded to make an errant throw, plating Molnar and advancing Lupica to second. With two outs, freshman shortstop Sydney Pace (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) drove in Lupica with an RBI single to right field, eventually scoring after an Archibold bunt single, a wild pitch and an RBI infield single from Lutas.
 
The lead ballooned to 9-0 with a six-run fourth inning. Hickman singled to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error on the toss back into the infield. Pace, attempting to sacrifice bunt, ended up reaching safely on a bunt single and later took second on defensive indifference. Archibold bunted for a single again, loading the bags for Lutas who drove in Hickman with a sacrifice fly to left. Pace was forced out a third on a Tighe fielder's choice groundout, but Griffith turned on an inside pitch for a two-RBI double down the left field line, scoring Tighe and Archibold. Massaro brought Griffith home with a single to left center junior pinch runner Xiomara Taylor (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) entered and stole second. A wild pitch and overthrow by NJCU's catcher plated Taylor and a Molnar single and Lupica RBI double made it 9-0
 
Lupica started the fifth and eventually allowed an unearned run, although Byrnes retired the final three Gothic Knights by way of strike out.
 
Molnar led the way, going 3-for-3 with two runs, while Pace and Archibold both scored once and singled twice.
 
Sophomore catcher Arianna Scrimo scored a run, while senior second baseman Melissa Mendoza, sophomore left fielder Kayla Clarke and Mezey had a hit apiece.
 
Lupica (3-5) struck out one and worked around three walks and a hit in the win. Byrnes fanned three with just 16 pitches in 1.0 inning of relief.
 
Mezey (4-29) allowed nine runs, seven earned, on 12 hits.
 
The Pioneers' originally scheduled home doubleheader against Staten Island Sunday, April 29 has been cancelled. Next up is WP's NJAC Tournament opener against No. 25 TCNJ Tuesday, May 1 in Ewing, N.J.
 
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