Cougars Rally Past Ramapo; Fall to
Top-Seeded MSU
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (5/3/08) - The Kean
University softball team defeated second-seeded Ramapo College,
3-2, in extra innings, before falling to top-seeded Montclair State
University in the elimination game of the New Jersey Athletic
Conference tournament on Saturday afternoon.
NJAC GAME EIGHT: Kean Advances Past Ramapo,
3-2, in Extra Innings
Senior Kara Schultz (Clinton, N.J.) scored the
game-winning run with two outs and the bases-loaded to lift Cougars
to the 3-2 victory over Ramapo College in game eight of the
tournament.. 
Pitching against Ramapo for the third time in a week, senior
right-hander Kristen Hennings (Jackson, N.J.)
(pictured right) allowed just two earned runs and one walk, while
scattering 11 hits to earn the complete-game victory and improve to
7-6 this season.
With pinch-runner Lindsay Kennedy (Parsippany,
N.J.) on first base, Schultz beat out a bunt single and
sophomore centerfielder Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill,
N.J.) followed with a sacrifice bunt to put Kennedy and
Schultz on second and third with one out. After a walk and
fielder's choice, Schultz scored on an error on a fielder's choice
by sophomore Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) to
avoid elimination for the second straight game.
Kean erased a 2-0 deficit, scoring single runs in the bottom of
the fifth and sixth innings to the tie the game. In the
fifth, senior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield,
N.J.) had an RBI double to drive in junior Nikki
Castagno (Staten Island, N.Y.) and cut the Roadrunner lead
in half.
The next inning, the Cougars tied the game when Schultz scored
on a RBI single by junior Sara Steinman (Springfield,
N.J.).
NJAC GAME NINE: Cougars Eliminated By
Top-Seeded Montclair State, 8-1
The Cougars wrapped up their first appearance in the NJAC
playoffs in over a decade as one of the final three teams remaining
before falling to top-seeded Montclair State, 8-1.
Montclair State, who lost to fourth-seeded The College of New
Jersey, 1
-0, in extra innings earlier in the day, scored two runs in the
first inning, as sophomore Megan Durkin (West Orange,
N.J.) drove in the first run of the game with a RBI single
before senior Jackie Ferranti (Bergenfield, N.J.) scored
on a passed ball.
In the third inning, the Red Hawks tacked on three more runs as
freshman catcher Kacie Neurouter (Wayne, N.J.) had an RBI
single and sophomore Amanda Livsey (Congers, N.Y.) drove
in two with a single to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
After Montclair State added three more runs in the fourth
inning, Kean scored its lone run of the game when sophomore
Allison Lizzi led the bottom half of the inning
off with a single and second baseman Sara Steinman (pictured left)
followed her program-tying 16th double of the season to
score Lizzi.
On the mound, junior left-hander Kelly Karp (Edison,
N.J.) improved to 16-0 this season, allowing just one run on
five Cougar hits.
