LAKELAND, Fla. – In the second day of the Florida Sunkissed games, the TCNJ softball team took both games of the doubleheader against New York University. The Lions took game one by a final tally of 8-4 and won 4-0 in game two.

NYU (2-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in game one, yet TCNJ (6-4) battled back. Megan Mayernik pushed the first run over with an RBI single in the second inning. In the third, Jess McGuire put TCNJ on top with one swing of the bat. The senior catcher ripped a grand slam to left field to put the Lions ahead 5-3.

In the fourth inning NYU posed a threat as it put runners on second and third with no outs. Starting pitcher Alanna Namit was able to get out of the jam unscathed. The sophomore pitcher struck out two batters then got the last out of the inning with a pop up.

TCNJ added some insurance runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Lauren Conroy drove one in when she snuck an RBI double down the right field line. Annalise Suitovsky knocked in another with a base hit to make it 7-3, then Camryn Davies scored the eighth run with some heads up base running. Elyse Nardozza hit a grounder to short and beat the throw to first. Davies hustled around third base and beat the throw to make it an 8-3 lead. Namit was able to hold off NYU to earn the victory.

In the third inning of game two NYU had a runner on second with one out, yet the Lions escaped the inning with a nice double play. Conroy snagged a grounder and got the runner at first. Nardozza then gunned down the runner advancing to third, and Mayernik applied the tag to get TCNJ out of the inning.

The Lions struck in the third inning. Mayernik singled through the left side to push over the first run. In the fourth inning Katie Winchock made it a 2-0 ballgame with an RBI groundout. Conroy remained hot at the plate and laced an RBI double to right field to give TCNJ a 3-0 lead.

TCNJ loaded up the bases in the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Kaitlin Kocinski earned a tough RBI as she was hit by a pitch to put the Lions ahead 4-0. Starting pitcher Eliza Sweet was locked in, as she threw a complete game shutout and allowed only four hits, three of which were singles.

TCNJ will resume action on Tuesday, with a doubleheader against Stevens Institute of Technology.