Softball Earns NJAC Split with
MSU
UNION, N.J. (4/18/09) - Junior right-hander
Cassie Shotwell (Dunellen, N.J.) earned a complete
game shutout in the opener to lead the Kean University softball
team to a 4-0 victory over Montclair State University in the first
game of the New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday
afternoon.
The Red Hawks (19-12,7-6 NJAC) scored eight runs in the fourth
inning of the nightcap to earn the split with the 8-0, five inning
victory over Kean (15-17, 6-8 NJAC)
GAME ONE: Shotwell Blanks Montclair State in Opener,
4-0
Junior right-hander Cassie Shotwell earned her
second straight complete game shutout victory and drove in the
first run of the game in the 4-0 victory over Montclair State in
the opener.
After a scoreless four and a half innings of play, the Cougars
scored the first run in the bottom of the fourth when Shotwell had
a two-out RBI single. In the inning, senior shortstop
Sara Steinman (Springfield, N.J.) (pictured right)
led off with a single to right-center and moved over to second on a
single by junior centerfielder Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill,
N.J.) to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Senior left-hander Kelly Karp (Edison, N.J.) struck out
the next two Cougars before Shotwell singled up the middle to drive
in Steinman for the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cougars tacked on two
more runs to extend the lead to 3-0. Rookie second baseman
Alicia Banz (Carteret, N.J.) and junior designated
player Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) opened
the inning with back-to-back singles and senior catcher
Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp., N.J.) followed
with a long single off the left centerfield fence to score Banz
from second. Lizzi followed later in the inning with a
two-out single to right field to score Thibault for the three-run
lead.
The Cougars added another insurance run in the sixth inning when
sophomore pinch runner Sarah Hamm (Hackettstown,
N.J.) scored on a wild pitch.
Shotwell (8-8) scattered six hits to earn her sixth complete
game shutout of the season, allowing one walk with one
strikeout. At the plate, the junior was 2-of-3 with one
RBI. Lizzi also finished 2-of-3 with one RBI, while Banz and
Thibault were each 1-of-2 with one run scored.
For Montclair State, sophomore third baseman Samantha Depken
(Wycoff, N.J.) was the lone Red Hawk with a multi-hit game, as
she finished 2-of-3. Karp (9-6) recorded five strikeouts on
the mound in the losing effort.
GAME TWO: Eight-Run Fourth Inning Lifts Montclair
State, 8-0
Montclair State exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning to
defeat the Cougars, 8-0, in five innings in the nightcap to earn
the NJAC split.
The Red Hawks sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning,
scoring the eight runs on six hits and four Cougar errors.
MSU opened the inning with three straight singles, as senior
left fielder Kelly Karp drove in senior shortstop Jennifer
Jimenez (Linden, N.J.) for the first run of the game.
Freshman designated player Adrian Rastocny (Colonia,
N.J.) had a bases loaded, one-out single up the middle to
bring in the second run, before freshman right fielder Shannon
Mozek 
(Wayne, N.J.) had a two RBI single to left field to extend the
lead to 4-0.
Later in the inning, junior second baseman Megan Durkin
(West Orange, N.J.) had a sacrifice fly to drive in another
run, while junior catcher Amanda Livsey (Congers, N.Y.)
drove in the final two runs with a single up the middle.
Junior third baseman Melissa Dietrich (Carteret,
N.J.) and junior Allison Thibault
(pictured right) each had a hit for the Cougars.
The Cougars return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 21, when
they travel to Ramapo College for a NJAC doubleheader at 3p.m.
