EWING, N.J. --- The No. 8 Moravian College softball team staved off elimination with a 4-2 win over host and No. 22 The College of New Jersey in the first elimination game of the NCAA Division III Ewing, New Jersey Regional Saturday afternoon.
The Greyhounds, now 33-6 on the season, advanced to the second elimination game and would be back on the field in 20 minutes to play Johnson & Wales (R.I.) University for the right to advance to the championship round and face Salisbury (Md.) University. The Hounds and Lions were playing for the fourth time in the NCAA Division III Tournament with Saturday's game, and Moravian is now 3-1 against TCNJ.
The Blue and Grey had eight hits in the game with junior center fielder Kat Spilman going 2-for-3 with a solo home run, and freshman right fielder Brooke Wehr going 2-for-4 with a solo homer as well.
Senior Amanda Carisone started in the circle and allowed two runs on four hits to go with a pair of strikeouts in five innings of action as she improved to 16-3 on the season. Senior Josie Novak came on to pitch the final two innings for her first save of the season with three strikeouts and one hit.
The Greyhounds had a hit in each of the first three innings but the Blue and Grey were unable to move a runner past second base.
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
Moravian loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning when senior catcher Janae Matos reached on a fielder's choice and junior third baseman Madison Shaneberger and senior first baseman Jean Markovic drew two-out walks. Unfortunately, junior pinch hitter Julia DeMarco lifted a fly ball to the warning track to end the inning.
The Greyhounds scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 advantage. Junior second baseman Kaela Kane led off the inning with a double to left center field. Freshman shortstop Maddisen Bieber was hit by a pitch and Spilman drew a walk to load the bases for the Greyhounds. Matos followed with an RBI single to right field as Kane raced home to tie the game. Brogan then drew a bases loaded walk to bring Bieber across the plate.
TCNJ tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom half of the fifth.
Moravian moved back in front, 3-2, in the top of the sixth on a two-out, solo homer to center field by Wehr, her team-leading 11th home run of the season and the second most in a single season in school history.
The Greyhounds extended the lead to 4-2 in the top of the seventh frame. Spilman led off the inning with a solo home run over the netting in left field, her seventh homer of the season and 19th of her career.
