Glassboro, NJ... The College of New Jersey softball advanced into the final day of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament by bouncing back from an early defeat to eliminate a higher seed on Saturday. The Lions started the day with a 7-5 setback to sixth-seeded Kean University, but regrouped and eliminated third-seeded William Paterson University with a 5-1 triumph.

That gives fifth-seeded TCNJ (27-13) a rematch with Kean as they face the Cougars (15-24) at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The Lions need to win twice to claim the conference title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that comes with it, while Kean is one win away from successfully defending the title it earned in 2010.

Game 1
Kean University 7, The College of New Jersey 5
The Cougars took advantage of two Lion miscues to score four unearned runs handing TCNJ its first loss of the tournament.

The Lions got off to a promising start as senior Colleen Cawley (Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) singled up the middle to score Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) making it a 1-0 in the top of the first. TCNJ made it 2-0 later in the inning as Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) scored on an outfield error.

Kean erased that two-run deficit in the third scoring five times with four of those runs of the unearned variety. Those runs brought an end to pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons's (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) scoreless inning streak in the tournament at 18.1 innings.

The Cougars made it a 7-2 game with two more runs in the fourth, while the Lions made a final push in the sixth as senior Caitlyn Seamster (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) blasted a three-run home run scoring Michelle Kent (Sparta, NJ/Pope John) and Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton).

Seamster finished the game going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in. Both of her hits were for extra bases as she also doubled to left field in the second inning.

Game 2
The College of New Jersey 5, William Paterson University 1
The Lions once again got off to a great start scoring in the opening inning for the third straight game as they raced out to a 2-0 after the opening frame. Seamster drove in the first run with a single to right field, while Cawley doubled that advantage one batter later with a base hit as Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) crossed home plate.

In the third, the Lions increased that lead to 4-0 as Cawley again doubled into the gap into the gap in right with Huttner again scoring. Kent produced the next run as she grounded out, but it was enough to get Seamster home.

Both teams traded runs in the sixth as the Pioneers spoiled the shutout. TCNJ's run came off of the bat of Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) as she doubled to left scoring Kristen Lake (Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central).

That was more than enough support for Fitzsimmons as the junior picked up her 11th win of the season with the complete game. She also recorded four strike outs.

Seamster added to her already big day with three more hits, while Cawley and Huttner each had a pair.