NEWARK, N.J. - The TCNJ softball team was on the road for an NJAC doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark Tuesday afternoon, winning Game 1, 10-1 before completing the sweep with a 7-0, Game 2 victory. Today's wins over the Scarlet Raiders also clinched the Lions a berth and top-2 seed in the upcoming NJAC Tournament.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 10, Rutgers-Newark 1 (5 inn.)
 
The Lions (21-13, 13-3 NJAC) were held without a hit in the first inning of Tuesday's opener before erupting for eight runs in the second to take a lead they would never give up.
 
Mckayla Yard led off the second inning by drawing a walk, with a single off the bat of Maya Knasiak putting runners on the corners. Camryn Kitchin bunted to score Yard and Gianna Vazquez hit a sacrifice fly to score Knasiak before a pair of two-RBI hits from Morgan Estelow and Julia Kinnally tripled the lead to 6-0. A single from Sara Vincent – TCNJ's fifth of six straight hits – scored Kinnally, with a single to right by Kitchin in her second at-bat of the inning bringing the eighth and final run across home plate.
 
After Knasiak – now back in the circle – allowed a pair of harmless hits in the second and third innings, it was the Lions getting RBI doubles from Kitchin and Vazquez on back-to-back at-bats to push their advantage to double digits.
 
Rutgers-Newark (11-25, 1-15 NJAC) would capitalize on an early error to score one in the home-half of the inning and spoil the shutout, but it was Knasiak returning once more to retire the side in the bottom of the fifth and force the run-rule win.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Knasiak: 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 Ks
• Kitchin: 2-3, 3 RBIs
• Yard: 2-2, 2 runs, 2 BB

GAME 2: TCNJ 7, Rutgers-Newark 0
 
Tuesday's rematch told more of the same story, with the Lions scoring six runs in the game's middle innings while Elizabeth Gosse tossed another gem on the mound en route to the 7-0 win.
 
It took until just the second inning for TCNJ to open the scoring in Game 2, with a Kitchin grounder scoring Yard – the senior had led the frame off with her second triple of the season – to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
 
TCNJ was held in check in the third inning, but six runs over the next two frames all but put the game out of reach. Kinnally opened the fourth with a single, stealing second and advancing to third to get herself 60 feet from home. Vincent capitalized on the chance, hitting a single to center to score the graduate student and double the Lions' lead. A passed ball scored pinch runner Jessica Slafani after a sac bunt and passed ball moved the freshman to third, with an RBI single from Vazquez making it a 4-0 game.
 
TCNJ's run total was mirrored in the fifth, getting runs on a fielder's choice, wild pitch and sacrifice fly by Yard to grow its advantage to 7-0.
 
Back in the circle Gosse continued to show out, retiring eight of the last nine batters she faced. The contest came to an abrupt end on a liner to Kitchin, who caught the ball and quickly stepped on first to turn two and clinch the Game 2 win and series sweep.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Gosse: 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 Ks
• Kinnally: 2-4, 2 Runs, 1 RBI

NOTES

• Knasiak eclipsed 200 career innings pitched in Game 1.
• Gosse registered the 200th strikeout of her career in Game 2.

UP NEXT

• The Lions return to Dr. June Walker Field to take on William Paterson Saturday, April 26. First pitch for TCNJ's regular season finale, which will also serve as its Senior Day, is set for 1 p.m.