Ramapo Edges Softball in NJAC
Twinbill
UNION, N.J. (4/29/10) – Ramapo College
won a pair of one-run games, as they earned a sweep of host Kean
University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on
Thursday afternoon. The Roadrunners (25-13, 12-4 NJAC)
rallied to win the opener, 5-4, before defeating the Cougars
(23-14, 7-9 NJAC) in nightcap, 1-0, in eight innings.
GAME ONE: Three-Run Seventh Rallies Ramapo,
5-4
Ramapo doubled three times in the top of the seventh inning to
rally from a 4-2 deficit and win the opener, 5-4.
After second baseman Amanda Kent had a one-out double
and left fielder Rachel Wong walked toput runners on first
and second, sophomore Danielle Rothenberger followed with
a double to drive in Kent, while an error also allowed Wong to
score with the game-tying run. Two batters later, junior
catcher Stephanie Malgeri doubled to 
score pinch-runner Deanna Russomanno with what proved be
the game-winning run, as Ramapo didn't allow the Cougars to
score in the bottom half of the seventh.
Ramapo took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when senior
centerfielder Katie Donnelly led off the game with an
infield single, stole second and scored on a single by
Rothenberger.
The Cougars responded in the bottom half of the inning to take
the lead, as sophomore shortstop Alicia Banz
walked and senior right fielder Allison Lizzi
singled to put runners on first and second. Two batters
later, senior first baseman Cassie Shotwell had a
two-out single up the middle to score Banz and rookie
Courtney Melchionna (pictured right) followed with
a double to deep centerfield to drive in Lizzi and Shotwell for the
3-1 lead.
Ramapo cut the lead in half with a single run in the top of the
fourth inning on a run-scoring single by rookie Janet
Brown to trim the Kean lead to 3-2, before the Cougars pushed
the lead back to two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Senior Allison Thibault had a two-out, pinch-hit
single and scored on a double by freshman Katie
Zolli to give the Cougars a 4-2 lead.
For the Cougars, Lizzi and Zolli (pictured left) each had two
hits.
In the victory, Wong was 2-of-3 with one run scored, while
Rothenberger was 2-of-4 with two RBI. On the mound, junior
right-hander Deanna Giordano (10-7) earned the complete
game vicotyr, as she scattered eight hits and had six strikeouts.
GAME TWO: Roadrunners Score Game's Only
Run in Bottom of Eighth
Sophomore shortstop Tiffany Fischer broke a scoreless
tie with a RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning to give
the Roadrunners the 1-0 win in the nightcap, while junior
right-hander Lyndsay Buehler allowed just one hit in the
complete-game shutout for Ramapo.
Junior catcher Stephanie Malgeri started the bottom of
the eighth inning on second base due to the tie-breaking rules and
after Kean senior right-hander Cassie Shotwell struck out
the first Roadrunner for the first out of the inning, Fischer drove
the ball to deep centerfield to score Malgeri with the game-winning
run.
Buehler (13-3) contained the Cougar offense, only allowing an
infield single to designated player Allison
Thibault in the third inning, as she walked only two
batters and had nine strikeouts.
Shotwell (12-6) was solid in the losing effort, as she scattered
six hits and was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the
bottom of the sixth inning with one of her four strikeouts.
Malgeri and Fischer each had two hits for the Roadrunners.
The Cougars, who are just one game behind for the sixth and
final spot in the NJAC playoffs, travel to Rutgers-Newark on
Saturday, May 1, for the final NJAC regular season doubleheader of
the season.
