CLERMONT, Fla. – The No. 14 TCNJ softball team surrendered a late lead, took it right back, and held on for dear life and a wild 7-6 victory over Southern Maine on Thursday afternoon.

Lauren Conroy and Kayla Hillenbrand each delivered an RBI single in the top of the seventh after the Huskies had tied the game with two runs in the previous inning, and Gillian Roberts worked her way into and out of a big jam in the bottom half as the Lions wound up on the top side of a see-saw thriller.

TCNJ (5-2) looked all set to cruise to a big win after putting up a three-run first. Julia Kinnally started the scoring with a two-run double and later scored on an RBI double by Hillenbrand.

The Lions tacked on an unearned run in the third, but back came Southern Maine (2-5) with a three-run third. Kaci Neveling's sacrifice fly made it 5-3 in the top of the fourth, and there the score remained until the Huskies pulled even in the bottom half of the sixth on a two-out, two-run single by Rona Scott.

TCNJ shook off the Huskies' rally right away, with Jaclyn Carifi leading off the seventh with a double. Two batters later, Conroy lined a single into center to plate Carifi with the go-ahead run. After taking second on a passed ball, Conroy scored on Hillenbrand's base hit to left.

Southern Maine seemed poised to steal the game in the bottom of the seventh, pulling within 7-6 and putting runners on first and third with no outs. After a groundout moved the trail runner to second, Roberts bore down and got a strikeout for the second out, then induced a game-ending groundout to earn her first save in dramatic fashion.

Kinnally finished 2-for-4 and drove in three runs for the Lions, while Hillenbrand was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Conroy and Carifi each scored two runs.

Marina Costello worked 3.0 innings in relief of starter Ally Schlee, who left in the third and was charged with three earned runs. Costello allowed four hits and two runs with three strikeouts and a walk before giving way to Julia Roessler, who collected her first career win after recording a pair of outs.

TCNJ wraps up its spring break trip on Friday with games against St. Norbert and Hope.