SALISBURY, M.D. –  On opening day, the No. 18 TCNJ softball team split a pair of games. The Lions defeated University of Rochester in game one 5-1 , and fell to Salisbury University in game two 6-5.

In game one, the Lions scored the first run of the 2019 campaign in the bottom of the second inning. Annalise Suitovsky ripped a solo home run to left field. The Lions scored via home run again in the third inning, when Jess McGuire made it a 3-0 ballgame with a dinger to left. Remarkably, that was the fourth consecutive opening day home run for McGuire.

TCNJ pushed across another run in the fifth inning, when Megan Mayernik beat the throw to home after a fielder's choice off the bat of McGuire. In the sixth, Gaby Bennett knocked in Camryn Davies with a single to make it a 5-1 lead. That lead proved to be more than enough for Alanna Namit who earned the win in the circle. Namit went the complete seven with only three hits and no earned runs allowed.

In game two against Salisbury, the Lions pushed over a pair in the first inning. Bennett used heads up base running to score the first run, as she scored on a sacrifice bunt from first. After she took second, she noticed that nobody was covering third and slid in head first. The throw sailed wide, and Bennet scored to give the Lions the edge. McGuire then laced an RBI double down the left field line to make it 2-0.

The Sea Gulls countered with a five run first inning, then the Lions added another run on the board in the second. Bennett drove in Kaitlin Kocinski with an RBI single up the middle.

Salisbury was holding a 6-3 lead until the top of the sixth inning. Allie Immerso drove in two with an RBI double to make it a 6-5 ballgame. TCNJ continued to try to complete the comeback in the seventh. Marissa Devincenzo began the inning with a single. Francesca Pugliese pinch ran for Devincenzo, and advanced to third by way of a couple of ground outs. Katie Winchock drilled one, yet it was right back to the pitcher and she put away the line out to give Salisbury the win.

The Lions will return to action on March 2, for the home opener against Ithaca College.