PHILADELPHIA – The Thomas Jefferson University softball team (3-5, 2-0 CACC) opened conference play with a pair of victories against visiting Nyack on Wednesday.
 
GAME ONE – W, 6-0
Emily Akelaitis got the Rams going in the bottom of the second, leading off with a solo homer to make it 1-0. She also performed in the pitching circle, allowing no hits over the first three frames.
 
Jefferson broke it open with a four-run fourth. Victoria Juckniewitz plated Ellie Egher with a sacrifice fly, Emily Kuberski smacked an RBI double, and Winnai Hoyt drove in two with a single. The Rams upped their advantage to six in the bottom of the fifth when Remy Smith scored on a groundout. Akelaitis then permitted just one baserunner over the last two innings to complete the shutout.
 
Quick Hits
- Winnai Hoyt: 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI
- Ellie Egher: 2-for-3, R
- Emily Akelaitis: 2-for-3, HR, Win, 7.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K
- Annie Eliason: 2-for-3, RBI, R, SB
- Emily Kuberski: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, R
 
GAME TWO – W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
Jefferson jumped on the Warriors early, posting four runs in the opening frame. Victoria Juckniewitz singled in Dallas Urban, Sam Gomez came home on a wild pitch, and Emily Kuberski knocked in a pair with a base hit.
 
Gomez upped the margin to five with an RBI double in the second. The Rams made it 8-0 in the third after an RBI groundout followed by a two-run double from Winnai Hoyt.
 
Meanwhile, Gianna DeLorenzo dominated in the circle, retiring 10 of the first 11 hitters she faced and not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. The only trouble she faced came in the fifth when Nyack hit a two-out triple followed by an RBI single for the Warriors' lone run of the day.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Cayla Kalani led off with a base hit and made her way to third after the next two at-bats. Julia Heine then brought Kalani home with a double to left center to end the contest early due to the eight-run rule.
 
Quick Hits
- Winnai Hoyt: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
- Dallas Urban: 2-for-2, 2 R
- Julia Heine: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI
- Sam Gomez: 1-for-1, 2B, BB, RBI, R
- Victoria Juckniewitz: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 R
- Emily Kuberski: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, R
- Gianna DeLorenzo: Win, 5.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K
 
NOTES
- The Rams batted .358 and posted a 0.58 ERA on the day.
- Jefferson's nine runs in game two were its most in a game this year.
- The Rams recorded a season-high 10 hits in the opener.
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson heads to Caldwell for two games on Saturday, March 26 beginning at 12 p.m.