EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ Softball team shut out Kean, 3-0, in the first round of the NJAC Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions (26-9, 15-3 NJAC) extended their win streak to 11 games off tremendous pitching from NJAC Rookie of the Year Elizabeth Gosse and senior Ally Schlee for the seventh shutout of the year. At the plate, the blue and gold collected timely hits to take the lead early and never looked back.

Gosse set the tone for the game by striking out four batters in the first two innings of the match. An inning later, when faced with a runner in scoring position and one out, the freshman responded by forcing a groundout before ending the inning with a flyout.

In the bottom of the third, the Lions struck first with two runs. With one out, super Senior Camryn Davies reached first on her conference-leading 10th hit-by-pitch of the year, to bring up the top of the order. Senior Kaci Neveling followed up with a single through the left side to put two on. Davies would then score on a successful stolen base attempt of third that resulted in her jogging home after the Kean Catcher committed an error on the throwdown.

Two batters later, NJAC Player of the Year Julia Kinnally doubled TCNJ's lead on a hard double down the right field line to drive in Neveling.  

Kean threatened early in the top of the fourth when they placed two in scoring position with one out. In response, the Lions brought in Ally Schlee from the bullpen in an attempt to get out of the jam. That was exactly what the senior Ace did, as she immediately struck out the next two Cougars batters to strand the runners.

TCNJ added on an insurance run in the bottom half after freshman Gianna Vazquez doubled down the right field line to score fellow freshman Camryn Kitchin from first. The Lions led by three entering the fifth.

Schlee kept TCNJ's momentum going in the top of the fifth when she struck out the side. In total, she punched out her first five batters faced in the game. She followed up with another three up, three down in the sixth. With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the seventh, the senior would punch out the last batter of the day to officially clinch the first round matchup for the Lions.  

Gosse and Schlee combined for ten total strikeouts, while conceding just three hits to Kean batters. Schlee collected her third win of the year.

Neveling led the offense with two hits and a steal. Jaclyn Carifi, Kinnally, Julia Mayernik and Vazquez each had a hit apiece. Kitchin reached base on a walk.

UP NEXT
The two-seeded Lions will host third-seeded Ramapo next Tuesday for the second round of the NJAC Tournament.