EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ softball team walked off with an 8^th-inning win on an RBI single by Kaci Neveling to grab a split of Saturday's tight doubleheader with Manhattanville.
 
Both ends of the weekend twin bill came down to the last play. The Valiants (5-3) held on for a 3-2 win in Game 1 by cutting down the potential tying run at the plate for a game-ending double play before the Lions exacted revenge in the nightcap, clinching a 6-5 victory on Neveling's clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Game 1: Manhattanville 3, TCNJ 2
After Manhattanville scored in the top of the first, the Lions (7-9) pulled even in the bottom half of the fourth as Julia Kinnally rocketed a double off the fence in left-center field and scored on Sara Vincent's hard-hit RBI single to left.
 
The blue and gold thought it had taken the lead later in the frame, but a Lion runner was ruled to have left second base early on a tag attempt, allowing the Valiants to escape a bases-loaded jam with a double play.
 
The visitors grabbed the lead in the seventh on an RBI triple by Olivia Fasce, who scored on a groundout one batter later to extend the margin to 3-1.
 
TCNJ was given new life in the bottom half, when the Valiant second baseman dropped an infield pop-up that would have been the second out. Instead, Neveling worked a walk and Olivia Santos bounced an RBI double inside the bag at first to bring the Lions within 3-2 and put two in scoring position with only one out.
 
Kinnally sent a fly ball to medium-deep right field, and Neveling attempted to tag up and come home with the tying run but was cut down by a terrific throw from the Manhattanville right fielder.
 
Game 2: TCNJ 6, Manhattanville 5 (8 Innings)
TCNJ found itself in an early hole again as the Valiants put two runs across in the first, but the hosts quickly got them back in the second on an RBI groundout by Taylor Freudenberg and a run-scoring single from Estelow.
 
The Lions fell behind again, 3-2, after Manhattanville scored a single run in the third, but managed to pull even one inning later thanks to bloop singles by Yard and Estelow sandwiched around an infield hit from Ryleigh Manning. With the bases loaded and one out, the Valiant pitcher fielded Santos' grounder back to the circle and fired home for the force, but the catcher was unable to hang on and Yard was able to score the tying run.
 
TCNJ nosed ahead with two runs in the fifth. Camryn Kitchin led off the frame with a sharp single and went to third on Vincent's double down the left-field line. Pinch-hitter Rachel Alecci connected for a go-ahead RBI single, and Yard plated Vincent with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.
 
However, Manhattanville came back with two runs in its half of the sixth, plunging the game back into a tie at 5-5.
 
Starter Maya Knasiak, back in the circle after being replaced earlier, worked around a runner on third with one out in the eighth, striking out the next batter for the second out. Yard made a terrific play to end the inning, backhanding a bouncing ball near the bag at third and firing to first to retire the side.
 
With Estelow on second to start the bottom half of the eighth, Santos moved her to third with a grounder to the pitcher. Neveling then laced a base hit between first and second to bring home Estelow with the walk-off run.
 
Knasiak earned the win, going 5.1 frames with seven hits and two earned runs allowed over two stints in the circle. She walked two and struck out four.
 
Julia Roessler was effective in relief, retiring the first seven Valiants she faced before a one-out infield single paved the way for two Manhattanville runs in the sixth.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Elizabeth Gosse (Game 1): 5.1 IP, 9H, 1ER, 4K
• Santos (Game 1: 2-for-4, double, RBI
• Yard (Game 2): 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI
• Estelow (Game 2): 2-for-3, RBI, run

NOTES

• Kinnally's double in Game 1 was the 61^st of her career, moving her into a tie with assistant coach Michelle Neveling for the program record
• Neveling stole her 99^th career base in Game 2

NEXT UP

• TCNJ hosts Arcadia on Tuesday