Box Score (Game #1)
Box Score (Game #2)

WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson softball team (23-13, 10-8 NJAC) secured a spot in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament with a doubleheader split against The College of New Jersey (16-16, 6-12 NJAC), 5-1 and 3-5, as both teams completed regular-season play April 29 at the Pioneer Softball Field.  

The Pioneers will play at Rutgers-Camden in the first round of the NJAC Tournament Tuesday, May 1 (time TBA). Montclair State will host the remainder of the six-team, double-elimination tournament Friday-Sunday, May 4-6.

The Pioneers struck first in Game One, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back singles by Brandi Kavaliauskas (Sicklerville, N.J./Highland Regional) and April Sardinas-Wyssling (Plainsboro, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South) were turned into scores thanks to Meghan Reilly's (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) double to left-center field.

The Lions got one of the runs back in the fourth, when Katie Davenport doubled home Tara Harrigan. Reilly answered with a sacrifice fly to plate Kavaliauskas in the home half of the fifth inning, followed by Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) single and throwing error that allowed Sardinas-Wyssling to cross the plate. A throwing error on the next play brought Zippler home from second, making the score 5-1 in the Pioneers' favor.

Junior Diana Schraer (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) improved to 17-4, scattering four hits over 5.0 innings, allowing one earned run and a walk. Freshman Amy Sievert (Matawan, N.J./ Old Bridge) pitched the final 2.0 innings. Julianne Lajiness took the loss (8-7), giving up eight hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks while striking out three in 6.0 innings.

Sardinas-Wyssling was 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Pioneers at the plate, while Zippler was 2-for-2 with a double and run scored. Reilly had a double and three RBI for WPU. Harrigan and Jess Kohut each went 2-for-3 for the Lions.

In the second half of the twinbill, TCNJ owned a 3-1 advantage by the end of the second inning, courtesy of RBI singles from Kohut and Ellen Seavers and a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Rachel Greeby. Another double to left-center field by Reilly plated Albert in the third, making it a 3-2 score, but the Lions got the run back in the fourth when Harrigan drew a bases-loaded walk, again giving TCNJ a two-run cushion (4-2). The Lions later tacked on an insurance run in the fifth with a run-scoring single by Greeby, and William Paterson finished the scoring with a bases-loaded walk drawn by Zippler in the top of the seventh.

Sievert started for the Pioneers and suffered the loss (1-3), allowing 10 hits and five earned runs in 4.1 innings. Schraer threw the final 1.2 innings (two strikeouts, two hits) for WPU. Heather Hoffman earned the victory for TCNJ (4-4), giving up eight hits and three runs (one earned) while striking out four in 6.1 innings.

Sardinas-Wyssling and Reilly each had a pair of hits for William Paterson, while Christina Lizzi was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored to pace the Lions.