MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The TCNJ softball team closed out their weeklong stay at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic by splitting their final pair of games on Wednesday.

After cruising past the initial matchup against Suffolk, in which the high-octane TCNJ offense ended the match in just five innings, the Lions (6-2) would lose a back-and-forth nailbiter against FDU-Florham in extra innings.

The Lions continued their display of power of plate to start the season, with Mckayla Yard and Camryn Kitchin hitting the sixth and seventh home runs of the spring games.

TCNJ 9, Suffolk 1 (5 Innings)
In a game that was finally played a week after initially scheduled due to a rain delay, the Lions took care of business with 14 combined hits (seven of which resulting in extra bases) on offense, and senior ace Ally Schlee returning to form on the mound with five strikeouts in all five innings pitched to secure her first win of the season.

Falling behind by one run entering the bottom of the second inning, the Lions quickly turned the tide with four immediate runs. After a leadoff double by Julia Kinnally, the shortstop was driven home by freshman Camryn Kitchin who hit a double of her own to center field. Jaclyn Carifi kept the scoring going with a sliding triple to left centerfield. Batting fourth in the inning, sophomore Mckayla Yard slammed her first home run of the season to make it 4-0 Lions.

In the fourth, Kaci Neveling continued her scorching-hot start to the 2023 season by tacking on another run with a two-RBI double to right centerfield. The extra base hit scored senior Alexis Rizzo (who singled through the left side) and freshman Julia Guerriero (who hit an infield single to third base).

The Lions offense put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with the final three runs of the game. Following a leadoff single by freshman Sophia Payne and a subsequent double from Kinnally put runners at second and third, Kitchin singled up the middle to score Payne for her second RBI of the game. A sacrifice fly from Carifi scored Kinnally, who tagged from third.

Following a Yard single and a two-out hit-by-pitch to Guerriero to load the bases, Neveling ended the match with a single down the right field line.  
Neveling ended the game hitting three-for-four with three RBIs. Kinnally, Yard and Kitchin each finished with two hits apiece. Payne notched the first hit of her collegiate career.

FDU-Florham 8, TCNJ 6 (8 Innings)
The Lions final game of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic was a rollercoaster that turned a potential shutout victory into a back-and-forth extra innings nailbiter.

Kaci Neveling struck first for TCNJ in the game. Following a leadoff single, the senior stole second and then third base, before crossing home following a throwing error by FDU-Florham's catcher. Carifi doubled the Lions' lead in the inning with a two-out single up the middle that scored Julia Kinnally, who had singled and stole second base.

Following a one-out triple by catcher Julia Mayernik in the fourth, Rachel Alecci recorded an RBI single towards the shortstop to score Mayernik and give the Lions an insurance run.

On the mound, freshman Elizabeth Gosse gave up just three hits in the first 6.1 innings of the game that saw the Devils unable to score any runs. However, the game quickly changed as FDU-Florham's bats got hot.

With one out and a runner on second, the Devils drove in their first run of the game off a single by K. Centineo. B. Disanto drew a walk after her to put two on the bases. TCNJ recorded what would've been the second-to-last out of the game when C. Conway grounded out to Gosse. However, with runners now on second and third, the Devils strung together three consecutive hits to go up 5-3. The sixth run of the inning scored after a fielding error by Carifi.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Lions would make a comeback of their own. With two outs, Camryn Kitchin launched her third career home run to score herself and Reina Jeronimo (who had doubled to centerfield). Following a walk and steal of second by Carifi, Mckayla Yard tied the game with a single to center to force extra innings.

However, with the international tie breaker rule in place, the Devils would respond with two runs in the top of the eighth, forcing the Lions to once again make a comeback bid.

With runners at the corners and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Kaci Neveling had a chance to tie or give the Lions the lead. However, the star senior popped up to shortstop. Batting after her, Jeronimo popped up as well to end the game.  

Up Next
The Lions will travel up to Maryland, where the team will face Lynchburg and top-ranked Salisbury on Friday.