Softball Drops Heartbreakers to Ramapo in NJAC Finale

MAHWAH, N.J. (4/29/07) - The Kean University softball team dropped a pair of heartbreaking games to host Ramapo College in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season.  In the opener, Ramapo (28-6, 15-3) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal a 3-2 victory.  The Cougars (21-13, 8-10 NJAC) rallied in the nightcap to force extra innings, however the Roadrunners came out on top, 8-6.

With the victories, Ramapo seals the second seed in the upcoming NJAC tournament, while the Cougars fall just short of making the NJAC playoffs.

GAME ONE: Roadrunners Plate Two Runs in Final At-Bats of 3-2 Victory

Trailing 2-1 at the start of the bottom of the seventh inning, Ramapo senior Beth Choma (East Brunswick, N.J.) and sophomore Marilee Farmer (Toms River, N.J.) led off with back-to-back singles and each runner would move up on a passed ball during the next at-bat. 

Choma would score the tying run on another passed ball to knot the game at 2-2.  Rookie pinch runner Jamie Chalkley (West Milford, N.J.) was placed on third base for Farmer and with two outs senior Gemma Chalkley (West Milford, N.J.) hit a pop fly to short centerfield that was misplayed by the Kean defense allowing the Roadrunners to score the winning run for the 3-2.

Kean took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, when junior catcher Vicki Lanza (Edison, N.J.) hit a two-out solo homerun over the leftfield wall for her first roundtripper of the season. 

An inning later, Ramapo tied the game, as sophomore Kelly Schriber (Montclair, N.J.) doubled to centerfield to score junior Lauren Cascino (New Windsor, N.Y.), who had led the inning off with a single. 

In the top of the seventh inning, the Cougars broke the 1-1 tie on a RBI fielder's choice by junior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, N.J.) to score freshman pinch hitter Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) for the 2-1 lead.

On the mound for the Cougars, sophomore right-hander Meg Gierke (Glen Gardner, N.J.) went the distance, scattering 12 hits and allowing just one earned run. 

For Ramapo, Junior pitcher Katie Norton (Livingston, N.J.) picked up her 13th victory of the season, striking out five and allowing only six hits.

At the plate, Hedler and junior centerfield Katy McManus (Edison, N.J.) each had a double.

GAME TWO: Cougars Rally to Force Extra Innings Before Ramapo Takes 8-6 Win

Kean rallied with three runs in the final two innings to force extra frames, however the Roadrunners scored three runs in the top of the ninth and ended another potential Cougar rally for the 8-6, nine inning victory to close out the NJAC regular season.

Trailing 5-2 in the sixth, junior first baseman Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and junior third baseman Kara Schiltz (Clinton, N.J.) led the inning off with a single and double to put runners on second and third with no outs.  After sophomore Jasmyne Vargas (Carteret, N.J.) and freshman Melissa Dietrich (Carteret, N.J.) entered as pinch runners, junior Vicki Lanza followed with a RBI groundout to score Vargas and cut the deficit to a pair of runs.

In the bottom of the seventh, junior centerfielder Katy McManus hit a one-out triple and junior shortstop Johanna Hedler followed with a walk to put runners on first and third base.  A wild pitch scored McManus and moved Hedler into scoring position.  One out later, Hicks followed with a double to centerfield to drive in Hedler as the tying run. 

The Cougars had an opportunity for the win in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on third base with one out, however Ramapo junior Katie Norton (Livingston, N.J.) forced a pair of pop-ups to end the threat.

In the ninth inning, Ramapo senior Ginny O'Brien (Emerson, N.J.) was placed on second base for the international tie-breaker rule. Rookie Katie Donnelly (North Haledon, N.J.)  sacrificed her to third before junior Lauren Cascino ripped a single down the right field line to pick up the RBI. Senior Beth Choma then followed with a double to right field to put runners at second and third before pinch hitter Jen Vitorino (Old Bridge, N.J.) singled up the middle to give Ramapo a 8-5 lead.

Kean cut the deficit to two in the top of the ninth, as pinch-runner Allison Thibault scored on an error.  The Cougars were able to get the go-ahead run to the plate, however the Roadrunners recorded the final two outs of the inning to earn the victory.

Hicks and Schultz each had a multi-hit game for the Cougars.

Sophomore right-hander Meg Gierke went the distance in game two as well, allowing five earned runs and 12 hits.  At the plate, Gierke hit her first homerun of the season with a two-run shot in the fourth inning.

Norton picked up the victory in the nightcap in 2.1 innings of relief.

The Cougars, who now await a possible bid to the ECAC tournament, face Centenary College in a doubleheader makeup on Wednesday, May 2, in Hackettstown, N.J.