Sophomore infielders Courtney Melchionna and Katie Schuh combined to go 8-of-16 with five runs scored and six RBI in the sweep.

The Cougars face top-seeded Rowan University on Tuesday, May 3, in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament. 

GAME ONE: Cougars Take Early Lead En-Route to 6-4 Win

The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as back-to-back fielder's choices by freshman left fielder Sandra Binkiewicz and Melchionna (pictured left) plated shortstop Alicia Banz and freshman right fielder Megan Cegielski, who led the game off with back-to-back walks and moved into scoring position on the infield bunt single by Schuh. 

A walk and two hits, including an RBI single by Schuh, padded the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning, before Rutgers-Camden pulled to within one run in the bottom of the frame.  Sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Gaskill was hit by a pitch and two outs later, scored on a double by sophomore third baseman Danielle Meng.  Meng would then score when a bunt single by junior centerfielder Lauren Hatzelhoffer was thrown away for the error.

The teams traded two-run innings in the third, with Kean scoring a pair of unearned runs on a hit by Melchionna, a walk and a pair of Raptor errors. Rutgers-Camden countered with a single by second baseman Brooke Keenan and a two-run home run by Gaskill.

Melchionna tacked on Kean's final run with a solo home run in the sixth. She went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Schuh and senior first baseman Katie Yard both went 2-for-4.

Senior right-hander Courtney Smyth earned the complete game victory in the opener, as she scattered seven hits and struck out three. 

Hatzelhoffer was 2-for-2 and Keenan went 2-for-4 for the Raptors, while Gaskill was 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.

GAME TWO: Seven-Run Fourth Inning Powers Kean in Nightcap

The Cougars exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning to build a 9-0 lead en-route to clinching the sixth and final playoff spot with the 10-5 victory in the regular season finale. 

After an inning-opening error in the decisive fourth inning, the Cougars had seven hits, including a two-run double by freshman designated player Kelly Moorehead, an RBI double by Banz, an RBI single by Schuh, a two-run double by Binkiewicz (pictured right) and a run-scoring double by Melchionna.

Trailing 9-0, the Raptors avoided the eight-run mercy rule by scoring three runs in the fifth inning, aided by a bases-loaded walk to Keenan and RBI singles by junior Amanda Cassella and Gaskill, but Smyth relieved freshman starter Rebecca Rotola and stranded the bases loaded.

Smyth worked the final 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and two earned runs, with those coming on a Gaskill home run in the seventh.

Rotola (2-3) collected the win, working 4.2 innings of six-hit ball. She allowed three earned runs and two walks, while fanning two.

Binkiewicz and Schuh had two hits apiece, with Binkiewicz driving home three runs and Schuh plating two.

Cassella (15-12) took the loss in the nightcap as well, working four innings and allowing nine hits, three walks and nine runs. Only three of the runs were earned.

Cassella went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI at the plate, while Gaskill added two hits and three RBIs.