Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey softball team (10-6, 2-0 NJAC) swept Rutgers-Newark (9-9, 0-2 NJAC) in a New Jersey Athletic Conference double header Sunday afternoon. The Lions won game one 3-1 in a pitcher's duel and took the nightcap 11-4, exploding for three multi-run innings.
The Lions got off to a good start in the bottom of the first inning when second baseman
Annalise Suitovsky (Warren Twp., NJ / Watchung Hills) blasted a two run homer to straight away center field. The Scarlet Raiders responded immediately in the top of the second when starting pitcher Kelly Yusko hit a home run that cleared the protective netting behing the left field fence to help her cause.
TCNJ starter
Sam Platt (Cedar Grove, NJ / Mount Saint Dominic Academy) locked in after the home run, never facing a batter with a runner beyond second base for the remainder of the game. The Lions would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Suitovsky hit a sacrifice fly to score
Madison Levine (Oakland, NJ / Indian Hills) for the second time in the game.
The Lions got off to a hot start in game two as well. First baseman
Jess Santelli (Hillsborough, NJ / Hillsborough) ripped a two run double in the bottom of first, then later scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly by
Danielle Carey (Maple Sahde, NJ / Maple Shade). Â Rutgers-Newark got two runs back in the top of the second on a two run single off the bat of Samantha Hoffman.
After the Scarlet Raiders tied the game in top of the fourth, senior
Colleen Phelan (Tinton Falls, NJ / Monmouth Regional) led off the bottom half with a pinch-hit single. Two batter later with runners on second and third, Phelan athletically dodged a tag on a ground ball to third base to load the bases with just one out. Shortstop
Megan Mayernik (Columbus, NJ / Northern Burlington) hit an RBI single to break the tie and Suitovsky followed with a two run double to break the game open.
Platt came on in relief of the nightcap to earn her second win of the day.
In game two the Lions out-hit the Scarlet Raiders 12-8.
TCNJ returns to action Tuesday, April 4 at 3:00 pm when they host Rutgers-Camden in an NJAC double header.
