Softball Picks Up Two Wins
CLERMONT, Fla. (3/20/08) - The Kean University
softball team picked up two more wins, defeating Concordia
University (Wisc.), 15-7, and Bethel University (Minn.), 10-4, at
the National Training Center on Thursday morning to improve to 11-1
this season.
GAME ONE: SIX COUGARS RECORD MULTI-HIT GAMES IN
WIN
Senior catcher Vicki Lanza (Edison, N.J.) went
3-of-4 with two RBI and one run scored, and junior right fielder
Nikki Castagno (Staten Island, N.Y.) drove in a
team-high three runs to lead the Cougars to the 15-7, five-inning
victory over Concordia University (Wisc.) in the opener.
After allowing a first inning run to Concordia, the Cougars
responded by batting around in the bottom half of the inning to
score six runs on six hits. Castagno delivered the big hit in
the inning, a bases-loaded double to drive in a pair of runs.
The Falcons answered with two runs in the second, before Kean
erupted for six more runs in the bottom of the third inning to take
the 12-3 lead. Lanza doubled to centerfield to open the
inning up, and Castagno followed with an RBI single to score
freshman pinch runner Lindsay Kennedy (Parsippany,
N.J.).
Also in the inning, senior shortstop Johanna Hedler
(South Plainfield, N.J.) (pictured left) had an RBI double
and junior Sara Steinman (Springfield, N.J.) drove
in a pair of runs two batters later with her double to
centerfield.
Kean scored two runs in the fourth and a RBI double by Lanza in
the fifth inning scored senior first baseman Katie Hicks
(Medford Lakes, N.J.) closed out the game.
Hedler, Lanza, Castagno, senior Kara Schultz (Clinton,
N.J.), sophomore Allison Thibault (Garfield,
N.J.) and sophomore Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill,
N.J.) each recorded multi-hit games. Hedler,
Steinman, Lanza and Lizzi each drove in two runs, while junior left
fielder Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp., N.J.),
Steinman, Hicks, Thibault and Lizzi each scored twice.
Freshman Courtney Smyth (Abington, Pa.) picked
the victory in relief to improve to 5-0.
GAME TWO: FIVE-RUN FIFTH INNING LIFTS KEAN
PAST BETHEL, 10-4
Freshman Jess Mattos (Carteret, N.J.) (pictured
right) picked up her third win of the season, allowing just two
hits and no walks in three innings of relief in a 10-4 victory
against Bethel University in the second game of the morning.
The Cougars drove in the first run of the game in the top of the
second inning when junior Nikki Castagno had a
two-out, RBI single to drive in senior Katie Hicks
for the 1-0 lead.
Kean added two more runs in the next inning, when the Cougars
took advantage of a RBI single by senior Kara
Schultz and an overthrow to score senior Johanna
Hedler and junior Jesse Buchanan.
Bethel got a run back in the bottom of the third inning, before
the Royals added three more runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
The Cougars regained the lead for good in the top of the fifth
inning, scoring five runs on two hits, one error and two Royal wild
pitches. Senior Vicki Lanza had the big hit
of the inning, driving in a pair of runs with a double down the
left field line.
In the sixth inning, Kean tacked on two more runs on a two-run
homerun by junior Sara Steinman, her second of the
week.
Schultz recorded the lone Cougars multi-hit game, finishing
2-of-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Hedler, Buchanan,
Steinman (pictured left) and Hicks each scored twice, while
Steinman and Lanza also drove in a pair of runs.
With three hits in the two games, Hedler moved into fourth place
in Kean softball history with 148 career hits, while her 104 career
runs also rank fourth all-time.
The Cougars wrap up their spring break trip on Friday, taking on
Bethany College (11:00 a.m.) and Western Connecticut State
University (3:00 p.m.) at the Osceola County Softball
Complex.
