VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.– The No. 10 TCNJ softball team's spectacular 2021 season concluded on Sunday in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The Lions defeated Gettysburg in an elimination game, 11-2, then fell to host No. 3 Virginia Wesleyan in a tight, 6-5 game.

TCNJ ends its season with a 26-5 record. The Lions made their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and won their second-straight NJAC Championship.

Julia Kinnally and Eliza Sweet were both named to the All-Tournament team. Kinnally went 8-17 (.470) with two RBIs and three runs scored, and made a handful of stellar plays at shortstop.

Sweet pitched to a 2-0 record in 6.3 innings and a 1.30 ERA. She struck out 13 batters and walked only one.

Game One, TCNJ 11, Gettysburg 2 (Five Innings):
TCNJ put up a four-spot in the second inning to grab command of the game against Gettysburg. Camryn Davies put down a bunt that was thrown away, and two runs came around to score. A couple of batters later, Allie Immerso knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. Kinnally laced a base hit up the middle to make it a 4-0 game.

Sweet, who pitched in last night's game against Virginia Wesleyan, threw three shutout innings to get the win. She struck out three and allowed only two hits.

In the third, Davies put down another bunt that scored a run. RBI singles from Immerso and Katie Winchock extended the lead to 7-0.

Game Two, Virginia Wesleyan 6, TCNJ 5:
The Lions fell behind to the third-ranked Marlins, 6-1, but battled back late in the game. In the sixth inning, Immerso led off with a double, and came around to score with a Nardozza base hit. The next batter was Lauren Conroy, who launched a gap double into left center field that pushed over two runs and made it a 6-4 ballgame.

TCNJ refused to go down easily, and scored another in the top of the seventh. Kaci Neveling and Winchock both worked a walk to begin the inning. Immerso then hit a slow roller to second that was mishandled, and Neveling came around to score. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, however the Marlins were able to hold the Lions there and escape with the win.

The Lions' first run came on the base paths thanks to Kinnally. She stole third, then got right back up after sliding as the throw sailed into left field. She hustled home and just beat the throw with a slide.