Ewing, NJ (4/15/06) - The College of New Jersey softball team gained a doubleheader split with visiting Montclair State University on Saturday as the Lions posted an 8-1 win in the second game after falling 6-2 in the opener.
TCNJ is now 23-9 on the season and 6-4 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while the Red Hawks are an even 5-5 in the conference and 22-6 overall.
The Red Hawks struck early in the opening game as
CHERYL BODAK singled in a pair of runs in the top of the first putting the visitors out in front. Montclair added two more runs in the second as
MAUREEN SHOCKLEY and
JACKIE FERRANTI each singled in runs making it a 4-0 game. That lead increased by another run in the fourth as Red Hawk standout
ATHANASIA TOTARO belted a solo home run to left field making it 5-0. The homer was her fourth of the season. After the Red Hawks made it 6-0 in the sixth, the Lions broke up the shutout scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Christina Lizzi singled in TCNJ's first run before Kristin Meister hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring Kristin Boyer.
Totaro picked up her 10th win of the season on the mound for Montclair State, while Julianne Lajiness suffered the loss for the Lions.
In the second game, it was the Lions who jumped out to the early lead as Jen Hughes hit her seventh homer of the year in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. After Montclair tied the game in the latter half of the inning, TCNJ quickly regained the lead with a pair of runs in the second. The first of those came on a RBI double by Tara Harrigan and the second on a run-scoring single by Vicki Blevins. The Lions struck for three more runs in the fourth as Boyer plated a pair of runs with a single and Meister drove in the other with a base hit through the left side. Boyer would drive in another run in the sixth as TCNJ added two more runs as the junior finished the game going 2-for-3 and drove in three runs. Heather Hoffman tossed her 11th complete game of the season as the junior improved to 13-3 on the year.
TCNJ will be back in action on Tuesday heading to second-ranked Rowan University, while the Red Hawks also play a pair of NJAC games hosting New Jersey City University.