Softball Falls to TCNJ in
NJAC Doubleheader
UNION, N.J. (4/7/08) -
The College of New Jersey earned a pair of New Jersey
Athletic Conference victories, defeating Kean University in NJAC
softball action on Monday afternoon. The Lions (16-10, 4-2
NJAC) won the opener, 5-2, before scoring runs in the second, third
and fourth innings of the nightcap to earn the 5-0 victory over the
Cougars (16-4, 3-3 NJAC).
GAME ONE: Three-Run Third Lifts TCNJ to 5-2 Victory
in Opener (boxscore)
Sophomore shortstop Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, N.J.)
was 2-for-4 with a homerun and four RBI to lead The
College of New Jersey to the 5-2 victory in the opener.
Seavers broke the scoreless tie in the third inning, as her
two-out, two-run homerun to centerfield hit the top of the fence
and bounced over for the 2-0 lead. Two batters later, senior
first baseman Christina Lizzi (Wyckoff, N.J.) followed
with a RBI single through the left side to drive in sophomore third
baseman Rachel Greeby (Yardley, Pa.).
Kean got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning
when senior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield,
N.J.) (pictured left) doubled to left field to drive in
senior Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and
sophomore Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.), who
had doubled and singled, respectively, earlier in the
inning.
In the top of the seventh, TCNJ added a pair of insurance runs
when Seavers doubled down the left field line for the 5-2
advantage.
For Kean, Thibault was the lone Cougar with a multi-hit game,
finishing 2-of-3 with one run scored.
Greeby and Lizzi were each 2-of-4 for TCNJ, while freshman
Steph Cintron (Northvale, N.J.) scored twice.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Ashley Minervini
(Cliffside Park, N.J.) improved to 9-5 with the complete game
victory, as she scattered eight hits and struck out three.
Rookie Courtney Smyth (Abington, Pa.) went the
distance for Kean, as she struck out six batters in falling to 7-2
this season.
GAME TWO: Cougars Fall in Nightcap,
5-0 (boxscore)
Freshman pitcher Alex Sietsma (Glen Rock, N.J.) allowed
just two hits and struck out eight batters to lead The College of
New Jersey to the 5-0 shutout victory over Kean in the nightcap.
The Lions scored the only run they would eventually need in the
second inning, as Sietsma helped herself out with an RBI single
down the right field line to drive in senior Christina
Lizzi.
The next inning, TCNJ tacked on a pair of runs when freshman
Christina Cawley (Riverton, N.J.) scored on an error and
junior Kelly Armstrong (Jackson, N.J.) added a RBI single
to extend the lead to 3-0.
Sophomore Ellen Seavers added her second homerun of the
afternoon in the fifth inning, with the two-out, two run shot to
left field for the 5-0 advantage.
Kean threatened in the sixth inning, when senior Johanna
Hedler led off with a walk and moved over to second on a
sacrifice bunt by junior Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp.,
N.J.). Junior Sara Steinman (Springfield,
N.J.) followed with a single through the left side to put
runners on the corners, however Sietsma struck out the next two
Cougars to get out of the inning.
Sietsma improved to 5-2 with the complete game shutout, as Kean
senior right-hander Kristen Hennings (Jackson,
N.J.) went the distance in the losing effort to fall to
3-2 this season.
At the plate for Kean, Steinman (pictured right) and senior
Kara Schultz (Clinton, N.J.) had the lone Cougar
hits.
For TCNJ, Seavers was 2-of-3 with two RBI and two runs scored,
while senior catcher Lauren Musacchia (Westfield, N.J.)
also had a pair of hits.
Kean travels to Rutgers-Newark for a NJAC doubleheader on
Tuesday, April 8. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
