Ewing, NJ… Rowan University took both ends of a doubleheader from The College of New Jersey softball team in a match-up of nationally-ranked programs on Thursday.
 
The Profs pulled out a 6-4 win in the opening game and the posted a 9-0 triumph in five innings in the second.
 
Sixth-ranked Rowan moved to 22-0 and 4-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while the 25^th-ranked Lions dipped to 9-5 and 2-2 in league play.
 
TCNJ is right back on the field for a conference doubleheader tomorrow at New Jersey City University, while the Profs are also in action, playing at Ramapo College.
 
Game 1
#6 Rowan University 6, #25 TCNJ 4
Rowan scored the game's final five runs to erase a 3-1 deficit to claim the opener. Junior Beth Ann Hyland (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) earned the win in relief as she improved her record to 9-0 on the season.
 
The Profs opened the scoring the second inning with a run when senior Shannon Costello (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) drove in a run with a ground out. Sophomore Damariz Mercado (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) scored that run after leading off the inning with a double to left field.
 
TCNJ didn't waste any time getting that run back, tying things up in its half of the inning. Junior Kristen Fitzsimmons (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) singled to center field, scoring sophomore Colleen Phelan (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional). Phelan started the inning by getting hit by a pitch.
 
The Lions took the lead in the third on deep drive to left by freshman Bria Bartsch (Montville, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy) that resulted in a RBI triple.
 
In the fourth, TCNJ put a run on the board for the third straight frame with Bartsch again coming through with the key hit. This time she dropped a two-single into center field, scoring Fitzsimmons. That run pushed the lead to 3-1.
 
Rowan tied the game in the top of the fifth, scoring an unearned and then got a run-scoring single off of the bat of Mercado.
 
The guests scored again in the sixth to take the lead. That run came on a single to left by Mia Baldassari (Hopatcong, NJ/Morris Knolls) that scored Sammy Vradenburg (Park Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge).
 
Mercado helped the Profs add two more runs in the seventh with a two-run home run to center field, making it a 6-3 game.
 
The Lions made a push in the last of the seventh getting one of the runs back on a base hit by Fitzsimmons to plate pinch-runner Rachel Cipolla (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial).
 
Mercado capped her big game going 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.
 
Bartsch, Fitzsimmons and sophomore Steph Vuono (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) each had two hits for the Lions.
 
Game 2
#6 Rowan University 9, #25 TCNJ 0 (5 innings)
Pitcher Ashley Lesch (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) allowed three hits in five innings to record her fifth victory of the season for Rowan.
 
The Profs got the early jump in the second game scoring three times in the opening inning. Baldassari drove in the first run with a triple and then scored on a squeeze bunt by Alysa Romero (Newfield, NJ/Vineland). The third run of the inning came when Jessica Phillips (Woolwich, NJ/Kingsway Regional) had a RBI double.
 
Romero drove in three more runs in the second with a three-run homer to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
The Profs had a three-run inning in the fourth with Romero driving in a run with a single and Mercado plated the others with a two-run hit to center.
 
Vuono and junior Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy) each doubled for the Lions.
 
Romero finished the game with five RBI as she went 2-for-2 at the plate.