CAMDEN, N.J. – With the offense clicking and facing a mistake-riddled defense, the TCNJ Softball team cruised past Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday for the second series sweep in a row.

The Lions (19-9, 9-3 NJAC) totaled 30 hits in the doubleheader and were aided by 10 Raptors (8-20, 5-7 NJAC) errors to score a staggering 21 combined runs. The series sweep represents the fifth on the season for TCNJ, with four coming in conference play.

GAME ONE (TCNJ 8, Rutgers-Camden 0)
Repeating as the NJAC Player of the Week, Julia Kinnally drove in the first run of the day on a bunt single in the top of the third. The infield hit drove in Camryn Davies from third. The star shortstop was quickly driven in herself by Mckayla Yard, who blasted a ground rule double to left centerfield.

Rutgers-Camden's lone chance to strike in the game came in the bottom of the fourth, when the Raptors had runners on second and third with one out. The scoring threat was quickly wiped out, however, when Kinnally made two consecutive plays at shortstop to shut down the inning.

TCNJ doubled the lead in the fifth when senior Jaclyn Carifi launched the second home run of her career to deep centerfield to score herself and Kaci Neveling, who had reached with a leadoff walk. However, the Lions weren't done scoring. Following another Yard ground rule double to left field, freshman Ashley O'Hagan drove in the third baseman on a single to centerfield. The run pushed the lead up to 5-0.

Carifi drove in Alexis Rizzo for the sixth run of the game an inning later when her single dropped in center field. She would advance to second on the throw, before immediately being sent home on a Kinnally double down the leftfield line to score the seventh run for TCNJ.

The eighth and final run was scored in the top of seventh on a Julia Mayernik infield single to the shortstop to score O'Hagan.

On the mound, freshman Elizabeth Gosse pitched a scoreless first 6.1 innings of the game before senior Gillian Roberts came in relief to collect the final two outs. The duo combined for the sixth shutout victory of the season for TCNJ. Gosse collected her ninth win of the year.

Carifi finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, driving in three total runs and scoring twice herself. Yard racked up three hits of her own, while Kinnally finished with two.

GAME TWO (TCNJ 13, Rutgers-Camden 5)
Lions wasted no time taking the lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first with Kinnally, Yard and Mayernik each driving in a runner. The Lions would push the lead to 5-0 an inning later when Neveling would score on a passed ball from third, followed by a Mayernik single with the bases loaded to drive in Carifi.

In the bottom half, the Raptors responded with two runs of their own on a double and a single.

Camryn Kitchin answered in the fourth with a two-RBI double down the leftfield line to score Carifi and Yard. With Mayernik on third and Sophia Payne pinch running on second, Rachel Alecci capitalized by singling to right field to send Mayernik home for the eighth run of the game for TCNJ.

In the bottom half of the inning, Rutgers-Camden blasted a home run to left field to put a small dent in the Lions lead. The Raptors would rally even more in the fifth when a two-out double drove in two runs, cutting TCNJ's advantage to just 8-5.

The ninth run for the Lions came in the sixth on a sequence of plays that saw Yard score off a steal and three errors. Leading off the inning, the sophomore would reach on a throwing error. With one out, she would steal second before making it all the way to home plate off throwing errors by the catcher and right fielder.

TCNJ completely pulled away in the seventh, scoring four runs to push the lead to 13-5. Following a leadoff single by Camryn Davies, Neveling would reach on an error that resulted in Davies scoring and the right fielder on third. Carifi would drive in Neveling after she also reached on an error by the shortstop. Couple batters later, with Kinnally and Yard on base, Mayernik would score the Lions shortstop on a single. Kitchin would follow up with an RBI groundout to score Yard for the final run.

The 13 runs represent a single-game high for the Lions.

On the mound, Julia Roessler collected her sixth win of the season while Roberts picked up her third save of the season after 2.1 innings in relief.

Mayernik and Davies each collected three hits. Neveling, Kinnally and Yard saw two hits each of their own.

UP NEXT
The Lions return home to face Montclair State on Saturday in what will be Alumni Appreciation Day. TCNJ will celebrate the 1983 National Championship team in between games one and two. First pitch is scheduled at noon.