Glassboro, NJ... The College of New Jersey softball team suffered its first setback in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament as the Lions were doubled up by Montclair State University 4-2 in the second round on Friday.
 
The double-elimination tournament, which is being hosted by top-seeded Rowan University, resumes on Saturday as third-seeded TCNJ takes on sixth-seeded Kean University at noon in an elimination game.
 
The loss knocked the Lions to 26-12, while the second-seeded Red Hawks improved to 39-3.
 
TCNJ quickly opened the scoring in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by freshman Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mt. St. Dominica Academy). Her base hit to left, scored senior Michelle Casale (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), who got aboard with a one-out single and then moved into scoring position by stealing second.
 
The Red Hawks got the run right back in the bottom part of the frame when Tara Petrucelli (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) drove in a run with a fielder's choice.
 
Montclair State then took its first lead of the game with two runs in the last of the third, but the Lions trimmed a run off of that margin in their next at bat. That run was produced when junior Lindsey Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) singled and then scored from first on a double by junior Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton). That run made it a 3-2 game.
 
In the fifth, the Red Hawks regained that two-run advantage on a run-scoring double by Melany Zeller (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield).
 
Senior Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and Brodbeck each went 2-for-3 at the plate, with both of Huttner's hits being doubles.
 
Freshman pitcher Ashtin Helmer (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) took the loss for TCNJ, while junior Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
 
NJAC Pitcher of the Year Alex Hill (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany Hills) earned the win allowing two runs on seven hits as she improved to 31-3 on the year.