MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The TCNJ softball team wrapped up its Spring Break trip with a pair of games against Maine Presque Isle and SUNY Poly, opening the day with a dominant, 14-0 win over the Owls before completing the sweep with an 3-2, extra-inning win over the Wildcats.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 14, UMPI 0 (5 Inn.)
 
It took just one inning to decide the result of Friday's opener, with the Lions getting RBIs from a trio of freshmen in Morgan Leonhauser, Emily Gill and Emily Evans before Maya Knasiak made quick work of UMPI's first four batters in the home half, giving TCNJ a 4-0 lead after one. Knasiak – who entered the game ranked among the best in the nation in strikeouts – fanned two in her opening inning of work, the first of which was the 300th of what is trending toward a historic career.
 
Morgan Estelow added an RBI grounder in the top of the second while Knasiak struck out the side in the ensuing half inning before the Lions threatened an early finish by doubling its lead to 10-0 in the third.
 
Grace Brouillard led things off with a double to right center, scoring on the next at-bat when Knasiak found the opposite side of the field on a single to left. Julia Wallace pinch ran for TCNJ's ace, immediately stealing second before a single from Emily Evans put runners on the corners. Brooke Hamaty stepped up to the plate next and hit an RBI single back up the middle to score Wallace, with Jessica Sclafani capping off the rally with a two-RBI single through the left side that scored both Evans and Hamaty – the freshman stole second during Sclafani's at-bat – to balloon the Lions' lead to 9-0.
 
TCNJ got its fifth and final run of the frame off the bat of Leonhauser, who capitalized on an error from the Owls' (2-8) right fielder to score Sclafani and put the Lions up 10-0.
 
Knasiak saw yet another bid at a no-hitter fall short after allowing a single in the fourth inning, but it was TCNJ adding four more runs to their total in the top of the fifth – two of which came on a triple from the junior – before she returned to the circle and struck out the side once again to secure the 14-0 win.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Knasiak (6-1): CG, 0 ER, 12 Ks, 2-3, 3 RBIs
• Olivia Santos: 3-3, 1 R

GAME 2: TCNJ 3, SUNY Poly 2 (8 Inn.)
 
Friday's finale was much more tightly contested, with the Lions scoring the game's opening run in the first inning before a pitchers duel ensued between TCNJ's Sairah Llano and the Wildcats' Annabella Mondello over the next five innings in a game that would inevitably go into extras.
 
Despite racking up nine hits on the afternoon, the Lions were unable to extend their lead for the remainder of regulation. Instead it was SUNY Poly (3-5) taking advantage of its lone hit on the day in tandem with a TCNJ error in the sixth inning to tie the game at one and put a blemish on an otherwise perfect outing from Llano. Both sides went down in order in the seventh, sending the Lions to extras for the second time this season.
 
TCNJ's series got off to an auspicious start when Hamaty – who began the inning at second – was thrown out at third on a Gianna Vazquez grounder, but three straight singles from Leonhauser, Brouillard and Gill brought two across home plate to give the Lions a critical 3-1 lead.
 
Another error in the home half cut the deficit to just one with a runner on first, but in stepped Dani Biggio, who retired the next two batters out of the bullpen to clinch her first collegiate save and the 3-2 win and sweep for TCNJ.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Llano (2-0): 7.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 10 Ks (carer-high)
• Biggio (SV)): 0.2 IP, 0 H
• Vazquez: 2-4, 1 R
• Gill: 2-4, game-winning RBI

UP NEXT

• TCNJ returns home Wednesday, March 25 for a doubleheader against Drew. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 2 p.m.