Ewing, N.J. … The College of New Jersey softball team opened its New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season schedule in style team as they swept William Paterson University on Saturday afternoon at Dr. June Walker Field.
 
The Lions raised their overall season record to 15-8 and are a perfect 2-0 in the conference. The Pioneers dropped to 14-4 overall and are 0-2 in the NJAC.
 
TCNJ won both games with great pitching, clutch hitting, and a solid defensive play.

Game 1: TCNJ  4  WPU 2
 
Clutch hitting led to the Lions 4-2 win in the opener. A pair of two-out, two-run hits accounted for all four TCNJ runs. Senior Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy) roped a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to capture the win.
 
The Pioneers loaded the bases in the first and pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the first. That would be all Lions' starter Katie Hourihan (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) would permit as she pitched six strong innings for the win.
 
Three base hits in the third led to a pair of runs in the third. Seniors Deanna Utter (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley) and Steph Vuono (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) both singled and raced home when freshman Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) ripped a two-out single to center. That evened the score at 2-2.
 
In the sixth, Bennett singled to left with one out and advanced on a wild pitch. Sophomore Madison Levine (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) hit a ground ball up the middle that second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti dove to her right to make a great stop and keep the ball in infield. After WPU recorded the second out, Purcell ripped a ball past the shortstop and into the gap in left-center. That turned out to be the game-winning hit as both Bennett and Levine scored.
 
Senior Ashtin Helmer (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) came on to pitch the seventh and retired the Pioneers in order. A pop-up to first, a routine fly ball to right, and a pop-up to second closed out the win. Hourihan raised her mound record to 4-2, while Helmer recorded her second save of the season.
 
Bennett finished 3-for-3, drove in two, and scored a run.
 
Game 2: TCNJ  WPU
 
Sophomore Sam Platt (Cedar Grove, NJ/Mount St. Dominic Academy) teamed up with Helmer to shut down the Pioneer offense for a 3-1 victory. Platt raised her season record to 8-2 and Helmer registered her third save and second of the day.
 
Levine delivered another two-out RBI for the Lions in the first that gave them a 1-0 lead. Bennett singled with two outs, stole second, and came home on the Levine base hit to right field.
 
Bennett was in thick of things when TCNJ scored two runs in the third. Vuono led off with a single and Bennett laid down a well-placed bunt for a single. The late throw to first was off-line and caromed into right field. Vuono came all the way around to score on the errant throw. Later in the inning, Purcell knocked in her third run of the day with sharp single to left to plate Bennett.
 
Platt was extremely effective, keeping the ball down to induce 10 ground ball outs. WPU was able to produce a run in the sixth cut its deficit to 3-1. Eleni Lutas and Rachel Wasilak stroked back-to-back singles. With two outs, Karley Jo Greulich singled up the middle to score Lutas. But on the play, Lions' second baseman Deanna Utter ran Greulich back to first and then gunned down Wasilak who had strayed off third base to end the inning.
 
Helmer came on in relief in seventh after Platt hit the first batter. She fielded a ground ball for the first out, struck out the next batter looking, and ended the game on a fly ball to right.
 
Bennett was 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the nightcap.
 
TCNJ continues conference play on Tuesday when they visit Rowan University for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.