MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The TCNJ softball team could not be contained in its matchup against St. Joseph's (L.I.) Tuesday afternoon, racking up 16 runs on 18 hits in a mercy-rule win over the Golden Eagles.
 
The Lions (7-6) wasted no time getting on the board Tuesday, with Gianna Vazquez hitting a leadoff double down the left field line before scoring on the ensuing at-bat – a Morgan Estelow single. St. Joseph's (1-4) responded with a run of their own in the home half, but it was TCNJ blowing the game open with a six-run second inning to take back control for good.
 
Emily Evans led the frame off with a hard-hit single to short, advancing to third after a Camryn Kitchin groundout and single back to the pitcher by Jules Fuchs. Brooke Hamaty laid down a perfect bunt to get herself on base and score Evans before Vazquez found herself at the plate once again, this time hitting a single to load the bases. Esetelow followed suit with an RBI single that scored Fuchs before Morgan Leonhauser hit a two-RBI single through the left side to make it a 6-1 game. The Lions got their sixth and final run of the frame off the bat of Emily Gill, who hit a sac fly to right that scored Leonhauser and ballooned TCNJ's lead to 7-1.
 
The Lions added two more in the third to threaten a shortened game, but the Golden Eagles capitalized on some early hits and late errors to pile on four runs in the home half and trim the deficit in half.
 
Leonhauser – the final run in TCNJ's six-run second inning – was the catalyst in a four-run fourth, leading things off with a single to third. A single off the bat of Gill moved the freshman to second before some smart base running brought her across home plate to give the Lions their 10th run of the game. A trio of miscues led to three more TCNJ runs to make it 13-5 through four.
 
Sairah Llano, who had entered the game with the bases loaded in the third inning, continued to impress by retiring the side in the fourth before Emily Gill put the game out of reach with a two-run shot – her first collegiate home run – to left that built the lead to 15-5. The Lions tied their season-high from a season ago with their 16th run shortly thereafter on another St. Joseph's error, with Llano getting herself out of another jam in the home half to secure her first win of the season and a 16-5 TCNJ victory.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Llano (1-0): 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Ks
• Gill: 2-3, 3 RBIs, 1 HR
• Vazquez: 3-3, 2 R, 1 2B
• Estelow: 2-4, 3 RBIs, 1 R
• Olivia Santos: 3-3, 3 R, 2 SB

UP NEXT

• TCNJ is back in action tomorrow to take on Scranton at 10 a.m. before facing off against Centenary at 2 p.m.