Softball Falls in NJAC Doubleheader

WAYNE, N.J.(4/7/09) - In a clash of two of the four teams who began the day tied for second place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference softball standings, William Paterson University (17-3, 6-2 NJAC) swept visiting Kean University (12-12, 4-4 NJAC), 7-6 and 6-1, on Tuesday afternoon

GAME ONE: WPU Scores Twice in Bottom of Seventh for Win in Opener

In a back and forth contest, William Paterson scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener, 7-6.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when sophomore Lindsay Kennedy (Parsippany, N.J.) doubled to left-center and senior Sara Steinman (Springfield, N.J.) singled her in with a base hit to center field for the early lead. 

Sophomore Katie Yard (Hillsborough, N.J.), (pictured right) a transfer from William Paterson, then drove a second-inning pitch over the 220-foot sign in straight-away center field, a solo home run that made it a 2-0 Cougar lead.

The Pioneers got one of those runs back during the bottom of the third.  Junior Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J.) drew a walk, followed by singles from sophomores Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, N.J.) and Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J.) to load the bases for senior Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, N.J.), whose grounder to second base allowed Zippler to cross home plate.

William Paterson jumped ahead with a pair of scores during the bottom of the fourth, as the Pioneers capitalized on a pair of Kean errors.  Sophomore Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J.) ignited a two-out rally with a single and would advance to second on an error, before tying the game when senior Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J.) had a sharply hit ball that was misplayed and overthrown, resulting in Jimmerson racing home to tie the score and Reilly settling at second.  Zippler then plated Reilly with a base hit up the middle, staking the Pioneers to a 3-2 lead.

The Pioneers tacked on another run in the fifth, after Abourashed drew a leadoff walk and was lifted for pinch runner Danielle DeDomenico (Cherry Hill, N.J.), who advanced to second after an errant pickoff throw and ran to third after a wild pitch.  Sophomore Jillian Mulderig's (Sewell, N.J.) grounder up the first-base line gave DeDomenico enough time to sprint home and make it a 4-2 game.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Cougars regained the lead after Steinman singled in Alicia Banz (Carteret, N.J.), and Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill, N.J) imm.ediately followed with a three-run homer down the left-field line, pushing Kean ahead, 6-4.

Reilly led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to center field, moved to third thanks to a Nadolny groundout and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Cougar advantage in half.

Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J.) led off with a single through the left side of the infield, and Mulderig beat out her sacrifice attempt for a bunt single.  Junior Lacey Santone (South Plainfield, N.J.) followed with a perfect bunt up the first-base line, advancing the runners to second and third with one out.  Jimmerson's sharply-hit ball to second drove in Mendez and tied the score, and another wild pitch was all that Mulderig needed to cover the final 60 feet and hand the Pioneers the victory.

Nadolny was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Mulderig and Jimmerson both went 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored for the Pioneers.

Steinman (pictured left) was 2-for-3 and notched a RBI and run scored for Kean, while Kennedy was 2-for-4 and Lizzi went 1-for-3 with the three-run home run. 

Freshman Michelle Graham (Hawthorne, N.J.) improved to 7-2 on the season with 7.0 innings of work, allowing nine hits and six runs, striking out seven Cougars without issuing a walk.  Junior Cassie Shotwell (Dunellen, N.J.) took the loss for Kean (6-5), allowing 10 hits, seven runs (four earned) and six walks in 6.1 innings.

GAME TWO: Four-Run Fifth Lifts WPU in Nightcap

A four-run outburst during the top of the fifth helped give William Paterson the sweep with a 6-1 game-two victory.

In the first inning, Reilly drew a one-out walk during the Pioneers' and advanced to second thanks to a wild pitch.  Nadolny then put down a bunt for a single, and continued toward second.  Kean catcher Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp., N.J.) threw down to second base, where Lizzi was covering from center field and tagged out Nadolny, but the throw allowed Reilly to break for home and she slid to beat the ball to the plate, scoring the game's first run.

Kean evened the score during the bottom of the second, when Steinman led off the inning with a walk, was sacrificed by Lizzi to second, ran to third on a wild pitch, and scored after a Yard groundout to short.

William Paterson seized control with a four-run fifth inning.  Sophomore Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, N.J.) and freshman Raquel Roder (Hoboken, N.J.) both singled and Reilly drew a base on balls, loading the bases for Nadolny, who promptly singled.  Gaynor scored on the hit, and Roder scampered home due to a fielding error on the play, pushing the Pioneers ahead, 3-1.  Vitale then drew a walk to again load the bases, followed by Zippler being hit by pitch to force across Reilly and a Santone groundout plated Nadolny, giving the Pioneers a four-run lead.

The Pioneers finished the scoring in the top of the seventh when Zippler singled in Nadolny from second base.

Nadolny, the NJAC's leading hitter with a .542 average, was 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.  Gaynor went 2-for-2 and Zippler had a pair of runs-batted-in for WP.

Three different players accounted for Kean's four hits, two of them off the bat of junior Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) (pictured right).

Sophomore Kerrie Mascarelli (Montvale, N.J.) earned the complete-game victory (4-0), striking out four hitters and walking five.  Sophomore Courtney Smyth (Abington, Pa./Abington) suffered the loss (4-6), surrendering five runs on six hits in 4.1 innings.  Classmate Jess Mattos (Carteret, N.J.) pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed three hits and one run.

The Cougars return to the diamond on Thursday, April 9, when they host Lebanon Valley College in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.