Trenton, NJ: The Ramapo College softball team swept the Lions of the College of New Jersey today in the team's 2008 NJAC season opener in Trenton, NJ. With the victories, the Roadrunners improve to 14-2 overall, 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Lions fall to 10-8 overall, 0-2 in the conference.

In game one, the Roadrunners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning after TCNJ pitcher Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ) hit Kendall Patton (Hammonton, NJ) with bases loaded and one out. Marilee Farmer (Toms River, NJ) came home on the play after walking to lead off the inning. A passed ball immediately following the hit by pitch put Kelly Schriber (Montclair, NJ) at home giving the Roadrunners the two run edge.

The bottom of the third brought one run for TCNJ before Ramapo tacked on three runs at the top of the fifth to go up 5-1. Brittney McKeon (Toms River, NJ) hit a sac fly to centerfield with one out to score Lauren Cascino (New Windsor, NY) and Farmer crossed the plate on an infield error. Cascino and Farmer reached on a fielder's choice and reached on an error earlier in the inning to get on base. The final run of the inning came when sophomore Jamie Chalkley (West Milford, NJ) drew a walk with bases loaded.

The Lions threatened Ramapo's lead in the bottom of the same inning with two runs, and the bottom of the sixth with one more, to close the gap, 5-4. Chalkley hit a RBI single in the seventh driving in Ashley O'Rourke (Pequannock, NJ) who singled with one out to give Ramapo a bit of breathing room. Ramapo's Lyndsay Buehler (River Vale, NJ) struck out two, let up a single, and forced a fly ball to centerfield to close out the game, 6-4 on top of the Lions.

Buehler gets the win in four innings of work while Minervini records the loss striking out seven and walking three in 6 1/3 innings. Minervini let up seven hits and five runs, one earned while Buehler struck out three and walked two, letting up three hits and three runs, two earned, in the game.

Ramapo posted a 2-0 game two victory with one run in the bottom of the first and a second in the fifth. Rookie Rachel Wong (Livingston, NJ) went 2-2 in the win with one run scored while Cascino and Farmer each posted one hit on three at bats. Cascino and Farmer each drove in one of the team's two runs in the game.

With one out in the first, Wong singled to centerfield and later scored on a fielder's choice groundball from Farmer. Cascino singled to right field in the fifth inning scoring Amanda Sansevere (West Keansburg, NJ) who ripped a single to left center to lead off the inning.

Rookie pitcher Deanna Giordano (Clifton, NJ) held the Lions in the final two innings for the complete game shut out to improve to 4-0 on the year. Giordano gave up only six hits, striking out six and walking none.

Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, NJ) gets the loss letting up seven hits and two runs, both earned in 4 1/3 innings of work. Sietsma struck out three and walked one in the loss. She falls to 2-2 on the year.

Ramapo returns to action on Tuesday, April 1st when they host NJAC rival Rutgers Camden at 3:00 PM at the Athletic Center.