Osceola, Fla. … The College of New Jersey softball team split a pair of games on Tuesday afternoon at the Osceola Softball Complex in Florida.
 
The Lions (4-4) dominated the University of Dubuque in the opener, defeating the Spartans 9-1 in five innings. The offense sputtered in the back-end game as Case Western Reserve University registered a 4-0 shutout.
 
Sophomore Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, NJ/Steiner) shined on offense for the Lions, going 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Junior Sam Platt (Cedar Grove, NJ/Mount St. Dominic Academy) posted the mound victory in the opening, pitching all five innings for TCNJ.
 
Game 1: TCNJ 9  Dubuque  1 (5 innings)
 
TCNJ scored in all four innings on offense and Platt held the University of Dubuque to a single ran as the Lions registered a 9-1 victory in their opener.
 
After Platt retired the Spartans (2-8) in order in the opening frame, TCNJ jumped out to an early lead. Junior Madison Levine (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) drew a base on balls and Megan Mayernik (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) beat out the throw on a bunt to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Catcher Jess McGuire (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central ) successfully squared up and advanced the runners to put them both in scoring position. Jess Santelli (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) laced the first pitch she saw to left and Levine was forced to hold on the throw. But when the Spartan catcher attempted to throw behind Mayernik at second, the ball caromed into center field, allowing both runners to score.
 
A leadoff walk by Jenna Schwartz (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville), single by Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert), and sacrifice bunt set up an RBI ground out by Annalise Suitovsky (Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills). Levine followed with a sharp single off the outstretched glove of the first baseman to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
McGuire opened the third with a double to right-center and later came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Danielle Carey (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade). In the fourth, the Lions took advantage of two Dubuque errors to plate four runs. The inning was highlighted by a Bennett double, a Suitovsky RBI-single, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Maynernik.
 
Platt showed her mettle, working out of jams in the third and fourth inning. She finished with four strikeouts and fielded her position well.
 
 
Game 2: TCNJ 9  Case Western Reserve University
 
TCNJ ran into tough pitching in the nightcap. Annie Wennerberg went the distance to record her first shutout of the season. The Lions compiled nine hits in the contest, but couldn't string together enough to push a runner across home plate.
 
The Lions left six on base in the first two innings and it came back to haunt them as Wennerberg settled in after some early trouble. In total, TCNJ left 13 runners on base, ten of which were in scoring position.
 
The Spartans (2-3) score a run in the first and three in the second and that would be all the scoring in the game. The Lions had their best chance to score in the third when Bennett singled and moved to second on a bunt by Couso. Suitovsky singled to left and Bennett was cut down at the plate attempting to score.
 
Freshman pitcher Kristen Barrera (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) came into the game in relief and pitched five scoreless innings.
 
Santelli chipped in with two hits in the second game and had three on the day.
 
TCN will have tomorrow (Wednesday) off before playing a double header against McDaniel College on Thursday. The first game is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.