Softball Wins Sixth Straight to
Close Out Spring Break
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (3/19/10)
– The Kean University softball team closed out its Spring
Break trip with six straight wins, as they concluded action at the
Rebel Spring Games with wins over Utica College (14-2) and Hood
College (6-0) on Friday afternoon to improve to 8-2 this season.
GAME ONE: Cougar Bats Power Kean Past Utica,
14-2
Kean had five players record multi-hit games, as the Cougars
scored a season-high 14 runs on 15 hits in defeating Utica, 14-2,
in five innings on Friday morning.
Freshman Katelyn Marinelli (Phillipsburg, N.J.)
and senior Allison Thibault (Garfield, N.J.) were
each 3-of-3 to power the bottom of the lineup, allowing the top of
the lineup to drive in 12 of the team's runs.
Trailing 2-0 after two innings, Marinelli (pictured right) had a
one-out single and Thibault followed with a bunt single to put
runners on first and second. Two batters later, junior right
fielder Lindsay Kennedy (Parsippany, N.J.)
delivered a two-out single to score freshman Kelsey Hannan
(Saddle Brook, N.J.), who pinch-ran for Marinelli, and
Banz delivered a two-run single to score Thibault and Kennedy and
give the Cougars the lead for good. After an error extended
the inning, senior pitcher Cassie Shotwell (Dunellen,
N.J.) had a RBI single to drive in Banz for the 4-2 edge.
In the fifth inning, junior Katie Yard (Hamilton,
N.J.) opened the inning with the first of six straight
singles for the Cougars, as Kean would score six runs to build the
10-2 lead. Kennedy drove in two with a single through the
left side, while Schuh and Banz each added RBI singles.
The Cougars closed out the scoring in the top of the fifth
inning, as Schuh added another RBI single and senior centerfielder
Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill, N.J.) drove in three
with a bases-clearing double to centerfield.
Schuh was 2-of-4 with two hits and two RBI, while Kennedy and
Banz each added two hits, two runs scored and three RBI
apiece. Lizzi drove in a team-high four runs and Thibault
scored three times and Marinelli twice.
On the mound, Shotwell (4-1) struck out the side in the bottom
of the fifth to close out her fourth straight win, as she scattered
four hits and had six strikeouts, while allowing no earned runs.
GAME TWO: Cougars Close Out Trip with Shutout of Hood,
6-0
Junior Courtney Smyth (Abington, Pa.) pitched
the complete game shutout and all nine Kean batters recorded one
hit, as the Cougars concluded their spring break trip with a 6-0
win over Hood (5-5).
The Cougars took the 2-0 lead in the second inning when first
baseman Cassie Shotwell led off with a single and
would come around to score on a triple by rookie Courtney
Melchionna (Linden, N.J.).
In the fourth inning, Kean tacked on two more runs on RBI
singles by right-fielder Katie Schuh and
left-fielder Lindsay Kennedy, before shortstop
Alicia Banz (pictured left) doubled in the sixth
inning to drive in the final two runs.
Smyth (4-1) tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits
and striking out four.
