Link to "Senior Day" Insert
Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey softball team battled back to win the second game of a doubleheader with Rutgers University-Newark on Tuesday to earn a split with the Scarlet Raiders.
Rutgers-Newark scored all four of its runs in the first inning of the opening game en route to a 4-1 victory, while the Lions bounced back in the second to come away with a 7-1 triumph.
TCNJ is now 15-15 overall and 5-11 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while the Scarlet Raiders have an overall record of 12-22 and 2-14 in conference play.
Between games, the Lions honored their eight seniors for the hard work and dedication to TCNJ’s program. Recognized for their contributions were Kristin Boyer (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon), Katie Davenport (River Edge, NJ/River Dell Regional), Tara Harrigan (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert), Heather Hoffman (Annandale, NJ/Immaculata), Jen Hughes (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman), Jess Kohut (Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley), Julianne Lajiness (Monroe Twp., NJ/Notre Dame) and Sandy Russo (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge).
Game 1: Rutgers-Newark 4, TCNJ 1 (Box Score)
The Scarlet Raiders scored all four of their runs in the top of the first as Charlotte Labate (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield) hit a three-run homer to dead center and then Priscilla Rodriguez-Vivas (Cliffside, NJ/Memorial) doubled in another run for a 4-0 lead after half an inning.
Christine Sciarra (Lodi, NJ/Lodi) went the distance on the mound for Rutgers-Newark allowing only one run in the bottom of seventh for her fifth win of the season.
TCNJ got that run as Davenport drove in Christina Lizzi (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) with a single.
Lion freshman Ashley Minervini (Cliffside, NJ/Cliffside) pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless relief and did not factor in on the decision.
Game 2: TCNJ 7, Rutgers-Newark 1 (Box Score)
Rutgers-Newark again scored first in the second game as Lauren Herbig (Ringwood, NJ/Ringwood) lofted a sacrifice fly to center scoring Jen Raido (Secaucus, NJ/St. Mary’s) for a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first.
It didn’t take long for the Lions to pull even as Davenport singled home Lizzi in the top of the second knotting the game at a run apiece.
TCNJ then took the lead with a pair runs in the third as Rachel Greeby (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) and Boyer scored on a Scarlet Raider error.
The Lions tacked on two more runs in the fourth as Harrigan doubled in Davenport and Danielle Hagel (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Oakcrest) raced home on a passed ball making it a 5-1 contest.
Freshman Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) made it 6-1 in the sixth inning as she belted a solo homer. It was her first collegiate home run. The Lions added a final run in the inning as Boyer drove in Harrigan with a single into right field.
Hoffman earned the win in relief for TCNJ as the senior went 6.2 scoreless innings of relief allowing three base hits.
Harrigan finished the game 3-for-4 for the Lions, while Raido also collected three hits for Rutgers-Newark.
The Lions take the field again on April 28 for a doubleheader at William Paterson University, while the Scarlet Raiders return home on that same day to Rutgers University-Camden.
