Glassboro, NJ… Rowan University won both ends of a doubleheader against The College of New Jersey softball team, overshadowing a pair of strong performances by two Lion pitchers.
 
The Profs won the opening game of Thursday's twin bill by the score of 3-1 and then outlasted TCNJ 2-1 in nine innings in the second.
 
Senior Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) had a strong outing in the opener for the Lions with a complete game, while sophomore Ashtin Helmer (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) was outstanding in the nightcap going all nine innings and finishing with a four-hitter.
 
The two wins put Rowan at 25-8 on the season and 9-3 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and TCNJ fell to 6-22 overall and 0-12 in league play.
 
The Lions have a quick turnaround as they return home for a conference doubleheader with New Jersey City University on Friday, April 18.
 
Game 1
Rowan University 3, The College of New Jersey 1  
The hosts scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning and then added another in the fourth to claim a 3-0 lead.
 
TCNJ scored in the top of the seventh when freshman Jessica Kennick (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) belted her third home run of the season. That shot tied her with senior Kristen Lake (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central) for the team lead in homers.
 
Lake also added a base hit for the Lions with a single in the fourth inning.
 
Carisone pitched well after the two-run first, retiring eight of the next nine before the Profs added their final run in the fourth.
 
Game 2
Rowan University 2, The College of New Jersey 1 (9 innings)
Pitchers dominated in the second as Helmer was unhittable for most of the game. She had a no-hitter for 6-2/3 innings and allowed only four for the game. She also finished with 11 strikeouts and in 8-2/3 innings of work.
 
The only runs for either team came in the ninth. By virtue of the international tiebreaker rule, the teams start each frame of extra innings with a runner on second base and both pitchers prevented their opponents from scoring in the eighth.
 
Sophomore Christine Desiderio (Babylon, NY/Babylon), who ended the bottom of the eighth inning by cutting down the potential winning run at the plate with a throw from left field, opened the inning on second for TCNJ. She quickly moved 60 feet closer to home plate when freshman Colleen Phelan (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) dropped a successful sacrifice bunt. The Lions then took the lead on a RBI single by sophomore Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy).
 
The Lions came one out away from the win only to have senior Jennifer Arcella spoil that bid with a two-run single giving the hosts the 2-1 win.
 
Senior Krysti Maronski earned the win for the Profs, finishing with 13 strike outs and allowed four hits.