MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The TCNJ softball team splits its opening day at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic, shutting out Albion, 7-0, before falling 8-7 to Penn College in extra innings.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 7, Albion 0
 
The Lions (4-6) used another gem from Maya Knasiak as well as some timely hitting in both the second and third innings to take control early in Friday's opener en route to the shutout win.
 
TCNJ's ace opened the game precariously by hitting the Britons' (7-3) leadoff batter – who stole second during the ensuing at-bat – to immediately put herself into a dangerous spot. Quick to right the ship, however, was Knasiak, who retired the next three batters in order to end the inning run-free.
 
The junior carried over her success in the circle to the plate, leading off the second inning with a single to left to kickstart a three-run frame for the Lions. Brooke Hamaty replaced Knasiak on first and immediately stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. A grounder off the bat of Morgan Leonhauser was enough to score the freshman and break the seal in Friday's game.
 
Dani Biggio reset the rally with a single of her own through the left side, with Morgan Estelow and Camryn Kitchin reaching safely on the next two at-bats to load the bases for Jules Fuchs. The sophomore smelled blood in the water and swung on the first pitch, sending the ball to right center to score Biggio and Estelow before the frame finally came to a close.
 
Knasiak struck out the side in the home half and it was the Lions going right back to work in the top of the third, adding four more runs to blow the game open.
 
Grace Brouillard led things off with a single up the middle but fell victim to a fielder's choice on the ensuing at-bat. From there, however, it was Leonhauser, Biggio and Estelow hitting three straight singles, with Estelow's scoring Hamaty – the beneficiary of the earlier fielder's choice – and Leonhauser to make it 5-0. An RBI groundout scored Biggio before Fuchs struck again by hitting a return-to-sender RBI single to score Estelow and give TNCJ a commanding 7-0 lead.
 
Knasiak saw her bid for a no-hitter come to an end in the home half of the third, but would allow just one more base runner while fanning five over the final three innings in her second complete-game shutout of the season.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Knasiak (3-1): 7.0 IP, 1 H, 11 Ks
• Fuchs: 2-3, 3 RBIs
• Biggio: 2-4, 2 R

GAME 2: Penn College 8, TCNJ 7 (9 inn.)
 
The Lions struck first against the Wildcats (7-1), converting an Estelow triple into a run on the very next at-bat – a Brouillard sac fly – to take a 1-0 lead after one. TCNJ doubled its advantage one inning later, getting an efficient top-half of the inning in the circle from Elizabeth Gosse before Gianna Vazquez hit an RBI single to score Kitchin and make it a 2-0 game.
 
Penn College capitalized on an error to take one run back in the top of the third, but there with the response was Emily Evans, who ripped a two-RBI double to left center that scored both Emily Gill and Brouillard to give the Lions their largest lead of the game at 4-1.
 
Errors plagued TCNJ in a fourth inning that saw them fall behind for the first time on the day, with faults from both Leonhauser and Vazquez allowing the Wildcats to trim into the lead before consecutive singles put the visiting side up 5-4 and ended Gosse's day.
 
An RBI single from Hamaty tied things once again in the fifth inning before a stalemate ensued between Biggio – who entered with one out in the fifth inning – and Penn College's Mackenzi Tice that continued into extra innings.
 
Both sides scored the runner from second in the eighth, but it was the Wildcats plating two to TCNJ's one in the ninth despite a late attempt at a rally to hand the Lions the 8-7 defeat.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Evans: 2-2, 2 RBIs
• Biggio: 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Ks

UP NEXT

• The Lions are back in action tomorrow to face off against Vermont State University Castleton and Brevard, with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 9 a.m.