By Joseph Caruso
Sports editor
The College’s softball team took home a victory in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament 2-0 against Montclair State, marking their fifth consecutive win as they punched their ticket to the semifinals.
After conquering the Redhawks in both of their matchups last week, the Lions would try to beat them for the third time in a row, not an easy task against a fellow playoff team, especially considering they won the two games by just four combined runs.
Junior star Maya Knasiak got the nod at the bump, having recorded 14 wins on the year, with fellow pitcher senior Elizabeth Gosse standing at the ready in the bullpen if needed.
Knasiak’s regular season was nothing short of historic. She allowed just 14 earned runs in 119 innings pitched to the tune of a 0.82 ERA, leading all NJAC starters. Among starters with at least 50 innings, the junior also finished atop the conference in hits allowed (51), batting average against (.127) and strikeouts (157).
In addition to being the best pitcher in the NJAC, Knasiak was second in the conference as a hitter in OPS (1.165) and was first in slugging percentage (.718).
The opening round of the playoffs was a stalemate through the first five innings, as Knasiak handled business against a pesky Montclair State lineup. After running into trouble in the sixth, Gosse was called upon in relief.
With two runners on, Gosse didn’t need to record an out of her own, as sophomore catcher
Grace Brouillard picked off a runner attempting to steal third, and the score held at zero heading to the bottom half.
With two outs and nobody on, the College rallied as a double from senior Camryn Kitchin, her 100th career hit, plated the first run of the evening. Freshman Emily Evans followed up with a two-bagger of her own, vaulting the Lions ahead multiple runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kitchin has enjoyed another productive season in her fourth year at the College, being a consistent hitter at the plate and providing good defense in the infield. Her double on Tuesday brings her career RBI total to 54.
Holding a two to nothing lead, Gosse took the mound looking for both the victory and the save. After allowing the first batter of the inning to reach base and enabling the tying run to step to the plate, she sat down the Red Hawks to secure the victory and send the Lions to the semifinals.
As a result of Knasiak’s season, Gosse has become underrated for the Lions. The senior pitcher has thrown 78.1 innings to a stellar 1.97 ERA, good for eighth in the conference. For her career, she has eclipsed the 400 inning mark with an ERA of 1.73 with 256 strikeouts, easily cementing herself as one of the best pitchers in the history of the school.
Beating a team three consecutive times is no easy feat, especially a playoff team in Montclair State. Now riding a five-game win streak, the College has as good a chance as any team to come out on top of the NJAC for the first time since 2023.
The College look ahead as they gear up to take on No.16 ranked Stockton on the road, who also hold the No.1 seed in the NJAC. They will face off on Thursday, April 30.
