Glassboro, NJ… The College of New Jersey softball team saw its run at a conference title come to an end on the third day of the tournament as the Lions fell to Kean University 9-3 on Saturday in Glassboro, NJ.
 
Fifth-seeded Kean University (25-10-1) used a big six-run first inning to take the lead and move on in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament, while the fourth-seeded Lions (20-12) bid at the championship end.
 
The Cougars scored those six runs in the opening inning to take the lead, but TCNJ kept battling. The Lions got one of the runs back in the top of the second when junior Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy) doubled and scored a couple batters later when freshman Sam Platt (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) had a doubled of her own.
 
Kean answered with run in its half of the second, only to have TCNJ score again in its next turn at bat. Purcell was also involved as she drove in junior Christine Desiderio (Babylon, NY/Babylon), who got aboard with a one-out single.
 
After the Cougars scored twice more in the third, the Lions posted the final run of the game in the fourth when Platt scored on a fielder's choice by sophomore Steph Vuono (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern).
 
Platt finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate for TCNJ with a RBI and a run scored, while Purcell and junior Deanna Utter (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley) also had two hits each.
 
This was a bounce back season for the Lions as they doubled their win total from a season ago.
 
The announcement of the field for the 2015 NCAA Tournament will be announced on Monday, May 4 at www.ncaa.com.