Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey turned in a pair of complete performances as the Lions took both ends of a doubleheader against visiting Messiah College on Wednesday.
 
TCNJ (11-7) won the opener 5-0 behind a complete-game shutout by senior Lauren Fitzsimmons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) with that win bringing an end to Messiah's seven-game winning streak. The Lion bats took over in the second game as pounded out 13 hits for a 10-2 win in five innings. Sophomore Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) benefitted from the offensive outburst as she picked up the victory with a complete game.
 
The two losses dropped the Falcons to 14-6 on the year.
 
TCNJ opens New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Saturday, March 31 with a pair of games at Rutgers-Newark, while the Falcons head to Albright College for two games.
 
Game One
TCNJ 5, Messiah College 0
The Lions won the opening game to bring an end to Messiah's seven-game winning streak. They struck early with a run in the first and sealed the win with another in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
 
The speed of Crystal Lee (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) gave the Lions the early lead as she sped home from second base on a ground out to the right side by Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) for a 1-0 lead.
 
Lee used that speed again in the fifth as the senior earned a one-out walk and promptly moved into scoring position stealing both second and third. She then touched the plate on a wild pitch doubling TCNJ's advantage.
 
While the offense added that run in the fifth, it was the team's defense that came up with the big play as center fielder Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) made a running grab in the gap in right taking away an extra-base hit from Messiah's Jaclyn Merkel (Linthicum, MD/Mount deSales Academy).
 
That momentum carried over into the bottom of the sixth as TCNJ tacked on three more runs. The first two came when Lindsey Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) and Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) scored on a throwing error, while Lee laced a triple to left to plate Kristen Lake (Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) to account for the final run of the inning.
 
That was more than enough support for Fitzsimmons as she secured her fourth shutout of the season scattering five hits with five strike outs. She is now 6-2 on the spring.
 
Sogluizzo finished with a pair of hits for the Lions, while Huttner singled in the first inning to extend her hitting streak to 11 games.
 
For Messiah, Stephanie Schell (Jarretsville, MD/Maryvale Prep) went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.
 
Game Two
TCNJ 10, Messiah College 2 (5 innings)
TCNJ again grabbed the lead in the first inning as Lee walked and swiped second to get into scoring position. She covered the final two bases as Sogluizzo lined a shot to right-center for a double driving in Lee for a 1-0 lead.
 
Lee proved unstoppable on the base paths in the third as well singling to right and then stealing her way to third. Junior Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) dropped down a squeeze bunt and Lee slid in under the tag at the plate making it 2-0.
 
With Lee providing the speed, Sogluizzo provided the power one batter later as she crushed a two-run home run to the power alley in left doubling TCNJ's lead to 4-0.
 
While the offense was cruising, the team's defense came up with big plays as well in each of the first three innings. In the first, Lee made a sliding grab on a line drive and the next inning Sogluizzo made a nice running catch in foul territory behind the bag at first showing plenty of range from her position at second base.
 
The biggest play was in the third with the Falcons loading the bases with one out. Carisone fielded a ground ball and quickly fired home to catcher Michelle Kent (Sparta, NJ/Pope John) and she in turn rifled the ball to first to complete the double play and get out of the inning.
 
TCNJ added three more runs in the fourth with Lee driving in a pair with a triple and after the Falcons spoiled the shutout in the fifth, the Lions finished things off with three runs in the bottom of the frame for the 10-2 win.
 
Lee was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and scored three times, drove in three runs, and stole three bases. Sogluizzo went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Michelle Casale (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) and Katelyn Congilose (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) each added two hits.
 
Huttner kept her hitting streak alive with base hit in the fourth as she has now hit safely in the last dozen games.