Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey softball team picked up a pair of conference wins on Tuesday as the Lions took both ends of a doubleheader from Richard Stockton College. TCNJ won the opener behind a 4-0 shutout from pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) and used a walk-off single by Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) to claim the second game 6-5 in nine innings.
 
The pair of wins put TCNJ at 6-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and 17-9 overall, while the Ospreys dropped to 17-7 overall and 2-6 in conference action.
 
TCNJ continues NJAC play this weekend as they head to Kean University for a doubleheader against the Cougars, while Richard Stockton is in action on Thursday, April 12 at home taking on Baruch College.
 
Game 1
TCNJ 4, Richard Stockton 0
TCNJ started the opener with timely defense as Richard Stockton's Joey Afflitto (Brick, NJ/Brick) opened the game with a triple and remained on third while Jessica Goncalves (Union, NJ/Union) reached on an infield single and then stole second. Fitzsimmons then recorded a strikeout before shortstop Kristen Lake (Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) snared a line drive and quickly doubled off Afflitto at third to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the inning, the Lions took advantage of that momentum as Crystal Lee (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) walked and then stole second to move into scoring position. Michelle Casale (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) advanced Lee to third with a sacrifice bunt and she then scored on a base hit to center by Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) putting the hosts in front 1-0.
 
The lead doubled an inning later as Katelyn Congilose (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) blasted a solo home run to center field for a 2-0 advantage.
 
In the third, TCNJ padded its lead with two more runs as Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) had back-to-back doubles, with Sogluizzo later scoring on an Osprey miscue making it 4-0.
 
Fitzsimmons improved to 11-3 on the season with her sixth shutout of the season. The senior scattered five hits and struck out four.
 
Lee finished with a pair of stolen bases giving her an even 100 for her career.
 
Game 2
TCNJ 6, Richard Stockton 5 (9 innings)
Brodbeck plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth with an infield single to the right side scoring Huttner, who started the inning on second base thanks to the international tiebreaker.
 
Both teams used stellar defense in extra innings as TCNJ's run was the only one scored in two full innings with a runner staring on second base.
 
The Ospreys got on the board first in the second game as Katelyn Derewecki (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) walked with the bases loaded in the third inning making it 1-0.
 
Sophomore Nicole Scanlon (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) added another run for the Ospreys in the fourth inning as she lined a solo home run down the line in left making it 2-0.
 
TCNJ pushed four runs across in the fourth inning with Casale getting aboard with a double and later scoring on a fielder's choice by Huttner. Huttner then scored on a base hit by to tie the game at 2-2. The Lions took the lead as Congilose plated a run with a base hit, followed by a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Michelle Kent (Sparta, NJ/Pope John) for a 4-2 lead.
 
That lead was short lived as Richard Stockton got a three-run homer from Grace Long (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) putting the guests back in front 5-4.
 
Once again the Lions battled back to tie the game with Lee racing home on a ground out to the right side by Hommen setting the stages for extra innings.
 
Sophomore Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) went the distance on the mound for the Lions as she garnered her sixth win of the season.
 
Brodbeck and Congilose led TCNJ's offense with two hits apiece.
 
Scanlon finished with three hits for the Ospreys, while Long had a pair.