UNION, N.J. (4/27/11) – Freshman right fielder Megan Cegielski was a combined 4-of-9 with three runs scored, as the Kean University softball team split with Manhattanville College in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.
The Valiants (12-14) won the opener, 4-1, before the Cougars (10-24) earned the split with the 13-8 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE: Homeruns Lift Valiants to 4-1 Win
Manhattanville hit three homeruns en-route to the 4-1 victory in the opener, as senior right-hander Samantha Howe earned the complete game victory with the three-hitter.
The Valiants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on the solo homerun by third baseman Brianna Scapperotti.
A two-run homerun by centerfielder Lindsay Zekus extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning, before catcher Ashley Dell gave the Valiants a 4-0 lead with the solo shot an inning later.
The Cougars trimmed the lead to 4-1 when Cegielski (pictured left) led off the inning with an infield single and would score later in the inning on the RBI single by catcher Nicole Scarillo.
Kean threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning with the tying run at the plate, however Manhattanville got the game-ending double play to win the opener.
Cegielski, shortstop Alicia Banz and Scarillo each had hits for the Cougars.
For Manhattanville, Scapperotti was 2-of-3 with one run scored and one RBI, while second baseman Amanda Locke added a pair of hits.
Howe (11-9) allowed just three hits and three walks, while striking out six in the win.
GAME TWO: Kean Totals Season-Highs in Hits, Runs in 13-8 Win
The Cougars snapped a nine-game losing streak, as they posted season-high totals with 15 hits and 13 runs scored to earn the doubleheader split with the 13-8 victory.
Leading 2-1, the Cougars exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning. After rookie designated player Kelly Moorehead led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on the sacrifice bunt by senior first baseman Katie Yard, the next three Kean batters recorded hits, with Banz driving in Moorehead with the RBI single down the left field line for the first run of the inning.
Cegielski had a bunt single to load the bases and sophomore second baseman Katie Schuh would reach on an error, as senior Lindsay Kennedy scored on the initial groundout and Banz would come around on the error. Rookie left fielder Sandra Binkiewicz followed with the RBI single up the middle, before sophomore third baseman Courtney Melchionna had a two-run double to centerfield. Melchionna would later score the final run of the inning on the Valiants' second error of the inning, as the Cougars took the 9-1 lead.
Manhattanville trimmed the lead to 9-6 with one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth, as right fielder Lourdes Arias had a two-run double and Scapperotti and sophomore Kim Angiolillo each followed with RBI doubles to pull the Valiants to within three runs.
Kean tacked on three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Schuh had a two-run double down the left field line and would later score on the wild pitch for the 12-6 lead.
In the sixth inning, the Valiants got two runs back on a RBI double by sophomore Lynsey Schill and the run-scoring single by sophomore Jessica Van Galen, before the Cougars closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning when Banz scored on an error.
Schuh finished 2-of-3 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Cegielski was 3-of-5 with two runs scored. In total, nine different Cougars recorded hits, with five players having at least two hits.
Freshman Rebecca Rotola (pictured right) won her first career game, as she scattered 11 hits and two walks in the complete game victory.
Schill, Van Galen and Angiolillo each had two hits to lead the Valiants.
The Cougars return to action on Saturday, April 30, when they travel to Rutgers-Camden the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season finale.
