Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College softball team split a NJAC double header against the College of New Jersey today, 4-3 in game one, nine innings and 0-4 in game two.

Ramapo took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as sophomore Rachel Wong (Livingston, NJ) walked and advanced to second on an illegal pitch by the TCNJ pitcher. She later came home when a ball was misplayed in the outfield.

TCNJ tied the game in the second inning when Michelle Kent (Sparta, NJ) singled up the middle to plate Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, NJ) who singled to right field earlier in the inning before they took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Caitlyn Seamster (Edison, NJ) lead off the inning with a walk and was pinch run for by Kathy Sikora who was sacrificed to second and went to third on a sacrifice fly. Kent then hit a single to short right field to pick up the RBI.

Ramapo tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, 2-2, as junior pinch hitter Jen Vitorino (Old Bridge, NJ) ripped a RBI double to left center field plating rookie Tiffany Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) who singled to left field to lead off the inning.

Both TCNJ and Ramapo would have chances to score in the final innings but could not push a run across as they headed into extra innings. In the top of the eighth inning rookie Crystal Lee was placed on second and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt before Danielle Hagel (Egg Harbor City, NJ) grounded out to first base allowing Lee to cross home plate to go up 3-2.

Senior Marilee Farmer (Toms River, NJ) hit a hard ground ball to third base that was misplayed and skipped into left field allowing sophomore Brittney McKeon (Toms River, NJ) to score from second base to tie the game, 3-3. Ramapo would win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning as pinch runner Jaclyn Giangrande (Belleville, NJ) was placed on second base. Sophomore Stephanie Malgeri (Montville, NJ) then ripped a single up the middle as Giangrande was rounding third base, TCNJ made a throw home to try and get Giangrande out at the plate, but her slide into home plate avoided the tag to score the winning run for Ramapo. The Roadrunners posted ten hits to TCNJ's six.

Sophomore Deanna Giordano (Clifton, NJ) went the distance for Ramapo; she struck out seven and walked one over nine innings of work, she improved to 13-1 overall.

For the Lions, Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ) took the loss in relief as she struck out six and walked four (two intentional) over 5.1 innings of work falling to 6-8.

Fischer and Malgeri were the only Roadrunners to collect multiple hits as they went 2-5 and 2-4 respectively.


The Lion's came back to take game two, 4-0 to split the double header.

Lee hit hard single past the third base and into left field and stole second base before being sacrificed to third base and later scored when Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ) hit a ball third base as senior Kelly Schriber (Montclair, NJ) threw home and Lee slide under the tag to go up 1-0. Lee scored in the third inning when Hagel singled to center field, 2-0.

The Lion's added runs in the fourth and sixth innings when Katelyn Congilose (Toms River, NJ) and Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, NJ) blasted home runs each to left center field to go up 4-0.

Ramapo could not push a run across the plate in the final inning as Sietsma struck out the final two batters for the Roadrunners.

Sietsma picked up the win; she evened her record to 3-3 on the year. She struck out six and walked three in the complete game shutout.

Sophomore Lyndsay Buehler (River Vale, NJ) suffered the loss (8-5) as she struck out two and walked one.

The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow as they travel to Hunter College for a 1:00 PM double header.