By Joseph Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s softball team racked up three wins last week, sweeping their home doubleheader against Stockton and splitting the series on the road at Kean.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Lions hosted Stockton, marking their ninth and tenth consecutive home games. They went 6-4 in that span, bringing their home record to above .500 in the season.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, sophomore Maya Knasiak got the start and limited Stockton to just one earned run on three hits, striking out nine in the process. Junior outfielder Morgan Estelow scored two unearned runs, including coming home on a walk-off error committed by the Ospreys in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in a 3-2 Lions win.
Knasiak was named New Jersey Athletic Conference pitcher of the week for the second time this season. Her stellar sophomore campaign has included her leading the College in innings pitched (74.0), earned run average (2.08) and wins (9). Knasiak’s complete-game shutout against Kean on Friday was her fourth of the season.
The latter half of the doubleheader saw the College quickly fall behind 3-0 in the top of the first, but they responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. From that point, junior Elizabeth Gosse steadied the ship until the College took the lead on an RBI single from fifth-year outfielder Kaci Neveling. It was a huge day for the leadoff hitter, reaching base in all four of her plate appearances.
Stockton homered in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game up at five, forcing extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, sophomore Amelia Santos delivered with a pinch-hit walk-off single, resulting in the second walk-off of the day for the Lions, who were able to sweep the doubleheader for just the second time this season. Gosse earned her third win of the year, continuing her streak of eight straight games allowing three runs or less.
On Friday, April 4, the Lions traveled to Kean to take on the Panthers, with each team having 11 wins going into the matchup. For the first game, it was a masterclass by Knasiak, who allowed just one hit in a complete-game shutout while striking out six. Fifth-year infielder Julia Kinnally collected her 200th career hit when she homered in the top of the fourth inning to give the Lions a 1-0 lead and also scored a run on an RBI single from sophomore catcher Sara Vincent. Knasiak shut the door in the seventh inning, earning her ninth win of the season in a 3-0 shutout.
Gosse took the mound for the nightcap but struggled against the desperate Panthers lineup, allowing five runs in 3.2 innings. The Lions proved resilient, loading the bases in the top of the sixth and scoring three runs, including a two-run single from Vincent. However, Kean held on, and the comeback from the College fell short as their three-game win streak came to an end by a score of 5-3.
The College now sits fourth in the NJAC, with a 4-2 conference record and 12-12 overall. They will travel to Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday, April 9, looking to capitalize against a 4-17 Scarlet Raptors team.
