EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ Softball team closed out nonconference play with a statement after sweeping their doubleheader against Arcadia on Tuesday afternoon.

The Lions (10-6) won their two games against the Knights (12-8) by dominating in different ways. Freshman Elizabeth Gosse dominated on the mound in game one to shutout the Arcadia offense after allowing just four hits and punching out six batters. The shutout marked the second of the freshman's young career, and the first time all season Arcadia was completely shut off from the scoreboard.

Game Two saw Julia Kinnally lead an explosive Lions offense that outslugged the Knights by tying their season high of nine runs. The junior had the first multi-homer game from a Lion since Kaitlin Kocinski pulled off the feat against Kean back in the 2019 season.

GAME ONE (TCNJ 4, Arcadia 0)
TCNJ struck first in the bottom of second when, with two on, senior Kaci Neveling crushed a double to deep center to drive in super senior Camryn Davies from second and fellow senior Alexis Rizzo on first. One-upping her teammate, Jaclyn Carifi followed up with a standing triple to right center field to drive in Neveling to make it a quick 3-0 TCNJ lead.

The Knights threatened to cut into the Lions' lead in the top of the fourth, when they managed to put two baserunners on with no outs. However, on the next at bat, the Lions pulled off an improbable triple play on a single up the middle, in which the runner on second was first thrown out by Carifi at the plate, before a baserunning error at second base resulted in two chase-downs at third and home.

TCNJ tacked on an insurance run two innings later after Rachel Alecci drove in Ashley O'Hagan from first with a deep drive to center for a double. O'Hagan was pinch-running for Camryn Kitchin, who had reached base with a one-out single.

With her second career shutout, Gosse collected her fifth win of the season.

For the Lions, Carifi finished with two hits, an RBI and a stolen base. Neveling finished with a hit, two RBIs and scored a run. Davies drew two walks and Rizzo finished 1-for-1 in the game.

GAME TWO (TCNJ 9, Arcadia 5)
Kinnally blasted her second home run of the season to left field in the bottom of the first, scoring Kaci Neveling with a two-run laser that left the park in a hurry. Neveling led off the game with a bunt single, before quickly stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout by Carifi. 

The Knights rallied to tie the game immediately in the top of the second after recording a single and double alongside a walk to score two.

The Lions began to separate in the third. After a leadoff double to left-center by Neveling that was followed up by a steal of third base, Carifi drove her in with a single. The next at bat, Kinnally blasted another ball out of Dr. June Walker Field, this time to center field to give TCNJ a 5-2 lead.

Arcadia once again tied the game, this time in the top of the fifth, with all three runs coming in two-out situations. Following a single, the Knights followed up with a double to drive in the first run before launching a two-run homer to left field.

Suddenly finding themselves in an offensive battle, the TCNJ offense responded promptly with a massive four-run bottom inning that saw them string together hits with two outs as well.

Catcher Julia Mayernik got things started with a double down the left field line before Davies drove her in with a single that caromed off the second baseman's glove and into right field. After O'Hagan drew a walk to put two on base, Neveling struck once again with an RBI single up the middle. Neveling promptly stolesecond, and with O'Hagan on third, the freshman scored on a wild pitch.

The final run of the game came when Carifi beat out the second baseman for an infield single to score Neveling.

For the Lions, Gillian Roberts picked up her second win of the season after pitching a stellar 2.1 innings in relief of Julia Roessler.

Neveling notched a monster four-hit game that included two doubles, an RBI and three stolen bases. Kinnally recorded four RBIs, while Mayernik recorded two hits and a steal. Carifi finished the game with three hits and five total on the day. 

UP NEXT
The Lions will head out on the road Saturday to officially kick off conference play against Kean; the doubleheader is scheduled for a noon start time.