SALISBURY, Md. – The College of New Jersey softball team played its first games in over a full calendar year on Saturday. TCNJ fell to No. 5 Salisbury, 13-3, in game one, then bounced back to defeat Wesley in game two by a final score of 12-0.

GAME ONE
The Lions pushed over a run in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Kaci Neveling, making her Lions' debut, began the season with a base hit through the right side. Allie Immerso then reached base on an infield single. The Lions manufactured the run via a Lauren Conroy groundout and Elyse Nardozza RBI sacrifice fly.

The Seagulls put up a nine-spot in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the second, Julia Vardiman stole home for the Lions' second run of the afternoon. Katie Winchock tallied an RBI single in the fifth inning that brought Nardozza home.

Neveling went a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Vardiman went 2-of-3 with a run scored. Winchock also recorded a pair of hits, and Conroy went 1-3 with a double.

GAME TWO
The bats came alive in game two, and TCNJ scored five runs in the second, then six runs in the third to take control of the game.

Neveling ripped a triple to right center that scored Winchock and Camryn Davies. The next batter was Immerso, who also recorded an RBI triple to put TCNJ ahead, 4-0. Conroy drove in the last run with an RBI sacrifice fly.

An RBI sacrifice bunt from Winchock got the scoring going in the third. Alanna Namit knocked in the next run with an RBI single, then another triple from Neveling extended the lead to 8-0. The rally continued as Immerso, Conroy, and Nardozza all tallied RBI singles to stretch the advantage to 11-0.

The run support proved to be more than enough for Namit, the starting pitcher. She threw a one-hitter and racked up six strikeouts.

Neveling went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Immerso went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, and Julia Mayernik went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

TCNJ returns to action at Montclair State for a doubleheader on Tuesday.