Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Allentown, PA... The College of New Jersey softball team bounced back from a 6-0 loss to return the favor as they defeated Muhlenberg College 6-0 in the back-end game of a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon.

The Lions moved to 5-9 on the second, while the Mules record now stands at 8-2.

Senior Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) delivered a huge pitching performance in the second game, tossing a complete-game shutout for her first mound victory of the season. She scattered four hits and struck out three as the offense erupted for six runs in the fifth inning to secure the win.

The outcome also marked the 498^th career victory for TCNJ head coach Sally Miller. She boasts an overall mark of 498-242-2 and is in her 19^th season. Miller has led her squads to 17, 20-win seasons and eight NCAA appearances. She won a national championship in 1996.

The Lions will have a shot at capturing Miller's 500^th win in their home opener at Dr. June Walker Field this Saturday, March 22 against SUNY Cortland. The first game of that doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.

Game 1
Muhlenberg College 6, The College of New Jersey 0
The Mules scored a pair of runs in the second and tacked on four more in the bottom of the sixth to account for all of the runs in the opening game.

Muhlenberg's Kelly Kline put the hosts in front with a two-run homer to right in the last of the second for a 2-0.

TCNJ's best chance to get on the scoreboard came in the third inning when senior Kristen Lake (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central) tripled with two outs, but she remained on third when the inning ended an out later.

The Mules then secured the win with four runs in the last of the sixth.

Lake finished the game with a pair of hits, while sophomore Deanna Utter (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley) and freshman Jessica Kennick (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) also had base hits.

Game 2
The College of New Jersey 6, Muhlenberg College 0

Carisone kept the Mule offense in check and gave the Lions' offense enough time to break through. After being held scoreless for 11 frames, TCNJ exploded for six runs on seven hits in the fifth.

With one out, Lake doubled and senior Lindsey Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) was issued a free pass. Kennick singled to right to load the bases for Utter. She responded with a base hit to left to break the scoreless tie.

The big blow in the inning came off the bat sophomore Kristen Fitzsimmons (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial). She cleared the bases with a three-run double to center field to stretch TCNJ's lead to 4-0. Run-scoring singles by freshman Olivia Fahr (Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) and senior Corinne Minicozzi (Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne) gave Carisone plenty of cushion for the final three frames. She retired the side in order in the seventh, putting the exclamation point on the win with a game-ending strikeout.

TCNJ did its job behind Carisone, playing errorless defense for seven innings. The infield was perfect on 12 ground balls and also turned a double play.