Softball Rallies Past William
Paterson, 8-7
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (5/2/08) - The Kean
University softball team rallied from a 6-1 deficit to defeat
sixth-seeded William Paterson University, 8-7, in nine innings in
the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs on Friday afternoon at
Montclair State University.
The fifth-seeded Cougars (29-13) pounded out 20 hits and scored
two runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to stave
off elimination and scored the game-winning run in the top of the
ninth inning to advance to Saturday's NJAC action against #2
Ramapo College at 1:30 p.m. The Cougars face the
Roadrunners for the fourth time a week, as the two teams split
a doubleheader in the regular season finale last Saturday and
Ramapo defeated Kean 2-0 in first round action on Wednesday.
Senior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield,
N.J.) was 4-of-6 and drove in the game-winning run, while
junior left fielder Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp.,
N.J.) also added four hits, one RBI and one run
scored.
Trailing 6-1 after three innings of play, Kean cut the deficit
to three runs in the fourth inning, scoring two runs on four
hits. With one out, juniors Sara Steinman
(Springfield, N.J.) and Nikki Castagno (Staten
Island, N.Y.) doubled and singled, respectively, to put
runners on first and third. Two batters later, Hedler
followed with a RBI double to left field to drive in Steinman with
two outs, before Buchanan (pictured right) added a RBI single to
score Castagno to pull within 6-3.
Kean added two more runs in the fifth inning on a solo shot by
senior catcher Vicki Lanza (Edison, N.J.) and a
RBI single by Castagno to pull within one run at 6-5.
The following inning, the Cougars took the lead when senior
Kara Schultz (Clinton, N.J.) had a RBI single to
score Buchanan and sophomore centerfielder Allison Lizzi
(Cherry Hill, N.J.) drove in pinch runner Lindsay
Kennedy (Parsippany, N.J.) on a fielder's choice for the
7-6 advantage.
William Paterson tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and
after a scoreless eighth inning, the Cougars plated the go-ahead
run when Hedler had a RBI single to drive in Steinman, who led the
inning off with her second double of the game.
On the mound, senior right-hander Kristen Hennings
(Jackson, N.J.) earned the win in relief, allowing just
three hits and one run in four innings of work to improve to 6-6
this season.
After allowing six runs through the first three innings, rookie
Courtney Smyth (Abington, Pa.) settled down on the
mound, retiring six of the next seven batters she faced before
Hennings (pictured left) came in to close out the game.
At the plate, Lanza finished 3-of-4 with her team-leading fifth
homerun of the season and two RBI, while Steinman added two doubles
and two runs scored. Schultz, Castagno and senior
Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) each added
multi-hit games with two hits apiece.
