GALLOWAY, N.J. - The TCNJ softball team held a lead in both of its games against Stockton Tuesday afternoon, but was unable to take either the distance in a pair of two-run losses to a nationally-ranked Ospreys side.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 2, Stockton 4
 
The Lions (19-11, 8-4 NJAC) struck first in Tuesday's opener, turning a double off the bat of Morgan Leonhauser into a 2-0 lead after one.
 
Olivia Santos was first on base after drawing a walk, after which Maya Knasiak and Grace Brouillard got on via fielder's choices. With two on and two out, Leonhauser stepped to the plate and hit a liner down the left field line that scored both Knasiak and Brouillard and gave TCNJ a 2-0 lead.
 
Knasiak followed up her game-opening run with another strong start in the circle, holding Stockton (24-4, 10-2 NJAC) without a hit through the first three innings. Despite threatening to score in both the third and fourth frames, the Lions could not extend their lead any further before the Ospreys got on the board with runs in the fourth and fifth to level things at two.
 
TCNJ once again found itself with a golden opportunity to retake the lead in the sixth – a Taylor Menzel pinch-hit single put runners on first and second with one out – but a Gianna Vazquez flyout to center turned into an inning-ending double play after Dani Biggio failed to tag at second. Instead it was Stockton's Emma Coldsnow sending one over the left-field wall to put the Ospreys up 4-2.
 
Sairah Llano entered the game to record the final out of the sixth, but hit into a double play in her first at-bat of the season in the next half-inning, with a flyout in foul territory ending Game 1, 4-2.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Leonhauser: 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 2B
• Knasiak (12-3): 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Ks, 1-3, 1 R

GAME 2: TCNJ 7, Stockton 9
 
The Lions generated more runs in Tuesday's rematch, but tied their season-high in runs allowed (9) in another close loss. Almost all of the damage in Game 2 was done in the third and fourth innings, where the teams combined to score 14 runs.
 
Down 1-0 after allowing a run in the second, TCNJ started the offensive outburst with a five-run third inning. Santos once again kicked off the rally with a single to center, stealing second before falling victim to a fielder's choice that put Knasiak on first. The junior's stay on the bases was short-lived, however, with four straight hits – bookended by doubles from Leonhauser and Biggio – plating four to push the Lions in front. TCNJ's fifth and final run of the frame would come one at-bat later when an errant throw scored Biggio from second to give the Lions a 5-1 lead.
 
Unfortunately for the visitors, Stockton matched TCNJ's output with five runs coming on five hits of their own to retake the lead at 6-5 after three. The story was repeated an inning later, with the Lions scoring a pair on a Knasiak homer – the junior's second straight series with a long ball – before Stockton plated two a half-inning later to make it an 8-7 game.
 
TCNJ was held without a hit down the stretch, with a sixth-inning RBI groundout serving as the dagger in a 9-7 loss and second series sweep for the Lions.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Biggio: 1-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1.2 IP, 1 ER
• Knasiak: 1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR
• Vazquez: 2-3, 1 HBP

UP NEXT

• TCNJ is back home Saturday, April 18 to host Kean. First pitch of the doubleheader is at 1 p.m., with the Lions set to honor their five graduating seniors following the completion of Game 2.