EWING, N.J. – TCNJ Softball claimed the No. 2 seed in the NJAC Tournament with Tuesday afternoon's sweep over Ramapo. The victories punctuated with the celebration of five senior Lions: Jaclyn Carifi, Camryn Davies, Alexandra DiBenedetto, Alexis Rizzo, and Ally Schlee. Julia Mayernik hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in the two games.
Game 1: TCNJ 8, Ramapo 2
Elizabeth Gosse had another impressive outing for TCNJ as she led the Lions to an 8-2 victory for game one. She recorded five strikeouts to collect her 12th win of the season.
The Lions started off strong in the bottom of the first. Kaci Neveling started things off with a double to deep center field. Julia Kinnally then landed a shallow fly to right center, advancing Neveling to third base. Mckayla Yard laid down the perfect bunt to score Neveling on a squeeze play, and in the confusion that followed, Kinnally took third and Yard took second. Mayernik kept the party going, with a double ripped down the left field line that scored Kinnally and Yard to make it 3-0.
After two outs to start the bottom of the second, Kinnally and Yard both reached base before Mayernik again doubled to score a run to make it 4-0. Mayernik also had a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 5-0.
Ramapo got on the board with two runs in the top of the sixth, but TCNJ replied with three more in the bottom half.
Carifi started off action with a single through the left side before swiftly stealing second base. Kinnally walked to load the bases for Yard, who launched a sacrifice fly to score Neveling, who had reached on an error. Mayernik then came up to the plate and sent one soaring over the center field fence for a two-run homer to make it 8-2.
Mayernik went 3-for-3 with a double, home run and six RBIs. She wasn't done. Yard and Kinnally each had two hits.
Game 2: TCNJ 3, Ramapo 1
The senior duo of Schlee and Gillian Roberts combined for the game two victory. Schlee pitched 4.2 innings where she struck out two before Roberts came in for relief. Roberts picked up her fourth save of the season while striking out one. She allowed just one hit to her first batter faced before retiring the final seven batters of the game.
On the offensive end, Mayernik struck again with her second homer of the day in the bottom of the second. Yard reached on a single and advanced to third on an error before the home run, giving the Lions an early 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Schlee struck out the first batter before Davies ended the inning with a picture-perfect diving catch. The bottom of the inning brought Mayernik's third homer of the day, a rocket over the center field fence. She was 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs in game two.
Davies had another beautiful diving catch in the fourth, continuing to be impressive on the defensive end for the Lions. She would have another fly-ball catch before Schlee struck out the final batter in the inning, leaving the Roadrunners scoreless.
Ramapo would soon end up on the board though, with a shallow hit to right field driving in one run in the top of the fifth. After scoring that run, though, the final seven Ramapo hitters were retired in order.
Kitchin had a double as part of her two-hit game, and she also had a couple of sparklers in the field at second base.
TCNJ will return to action on Saturday for the first round of the NJAC Tournament. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
