Box Score
Providence, RI...It took exactly two innings for The College of New Jersey softball team to shake off any nerves they had in their NCAA Division III Tournament opener on Friday as the Lions trailed early before taking control in a 10-2 five-inning win over Baruch College in Providence, RI.
TCNJ, which is the top seed in the Providence Regional, advances to face New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent Kean University in the second-roundon Saturday, May 15 in a 10 a.m. start. The win over Baruch put the Lions at 32-8 on the season.
Kean fell to Wesleyan University 15-3 in the opening round.
The Lions were down by a pair of runs after the opening inning of play, but responded in a big way scoring runs in each of the next three innings, including a huge six-run third putting the game out of reach.
The sixth-seeded Bearcats (23-21) jumped out to that early lead pushing a pair of unearned runs across in the top of the first for the 2-0 lead, but that turned out to be the only lead that Baruch had.
The Lions began to cut away at that deficit in the second as junior (Sparta, NJ/Pope John) came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double making it a 3-2 game.
Just as important as scoring the three runs, senior pitcher Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) made sure the Lions kept that momentum in Baruch's next at bat recording three quick ground outs to put TCNJ right back in the batter's box.
Sophomore Crystal Lee (Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls) made the most of that quick turnaround leading off the third with a triple to right center and then covered the final 60 feet on a sacrifice fly by freshman Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) making it a 4-2 contest. Senior Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) accounted for TCNJ's fifth run on a bunt single as Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) crossed the plate.
The big third inning for the Lions didn't end there as Seamster blasted her second home run of the season with this one being a grand slam to left center. In all, TCNJ finished the inning scoring six times on four hits.
Seavers padded the lead again in the last of the fourth with a RBI double scoring pinch-runner Sara Owen (Howell, NJ/Howell) making it a 10-2 game.
Minervini, who ranks eighth-nationally in earned-run-average, improved on that number allowing only the two unearned runs on three hits with five strikeouts. By not allowing an earned run, she dropped her ERA to an even more impressive 0.90. With the win, Minervini also set a career-high for wins in a season picking up her 16th victory.
Lee and Seavers each finished with two hits at the plate, with Lee's both going for extra bases.
