Ewing, N.J. … The College of New Jersey softball team dropped a pair of contests to Manhattanville College in the 2016 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Regional Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Lions (30-16) fell in the opening game of the championship round, 5-0 before being edged by a score of 1-0 in the final. The Valiants (41-3) clinched a berth to the Super Regional round and will face St. John Fisher College in a best-of-three series.
 
TCNJ battled all day, but could not get the timely hit needed to break through in the scoring column. The Lions actually outhit the Valiants 8-7 in the two games, but left 13 runners on base in the two games.
 
Three members of TCNJ were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior Jamie Purcell (Nutley, NJ/Mount Saint Dominic Academy), sophomore Sam Platt (Cedar Grove, NJ/Mount Saint Dominic), and freshman Jess Santelli (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) were named for their performances during the regional tourney.
 
Manhattanville pitcher Alycia Feeney pitched the Valiants to both victories on Sunday and was tabbed Most Outstanding Player.
 
TCNJ registered its first 30-win season since 2010, and enjoyed a tremendous season under Head Coach Sally Miller and her assistants Tiffany Rhea and Alicia Sanchez.
 
Game 1: Manhattanville College 5  The College of New Jersey 0
 
Manhattanville took an early 2-0 lead when All-Tournament Team selection Desiree Buboi hit a two-run homerun. It marked her second homer of the tournament and tied a program record.
 
TCNJ worked out of a bases loaded, two0out jam in the top of the second to keep the deficit at two runs.
 
In the bottom of the second, Jess McGuire (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central Regional) reached base when she was hit by a pitch. Daniella Marino (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) laid down a well-placed bunt to get on first and advance McGuire to second. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Jess Santelli (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) walked to load the bases, but Feeney recorded the last out to escape the threat.
 
Manhattanville extended its lead the score 5-0 in the top of the fourth when Sophia Chapelone hit a three-run home run.
 
Leading the Lions offensively was Santelli, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Senior Deanna Utter (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) and Marino each recorded one hit.
 
Game 2: Manhattanville College  The College of New Jersey 0
 
The Valiants loaded the bases with two outs in their first at bat and scored on a wild pitch to take the 1-0 lead. That turned out to be the difference-maker in the game.
 
Senior Katie Hourihan (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) did an outstanding job containing the Manhattanville offense. She limited the Valiants to four hits and struck out, giving up just the first-inning run.
 
Once again, the Lions got out of a bases loaded situation; this time Bennett made a great catch in center to get the last out.
 
Santelli, Kristen Fitzsimmons (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial), junior Colleen Phelan (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional), and freshman Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) all had hits for TCNJ.

2016 All Tournament Team
Jackie Schneider - Neumann University
Vannessa Joia - The College of Staten Island
Jacqueline Cautela - The College of Staten Island
Jamie Purcell - The College of New Jersey
Sam Platt - The College of New Jersey
Jess Santelli - The College of New Jersey
Desiree Buboi - Manhattanville College
Sophia Chapelone - Manhattanville College
Laurel Coito - Manhattanville College
Most Outstanding Player - Alycia Feeney - Manhattanville College