GLASSBORO, N.J. (5/7/11) – The Kean University softball team advances to the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Game for the second straight season after defeating The College of New Jersey, 7-5, in the winner's bracket on Saturday morning.
The sixth-seeded Cougars (15-24) won their sixth straight game, as second baseman Katie Schuh was 2-of-3 with two RBI and one run scored and ignited a five-run third inning with a two-run double.
The defending NJAC Champion Cougars will face the fifth-seeded Lions (27-13) again on Sunday for the NJAC title, as TCNJ rebounded to defeat #3 William Paterson University later on Saturday. The Cougars only need one win to repeat as conference champions, while the Lions would have to defeat Kean twice to win the NJAC title.
The Cougars erased a 2-0 deficit when they exploded for five runs in the fifth inning. After junior shortstop Alicia Banz singled and freshman Megan Cegielski reached on an error, Schuh doubled to centerfield to drive in both runs to tie the game. Freshman left fielder Sandra Binkiewicz followed with a single to left field to put runners on the corners and would advance to second on the groundout, before senior catcher Nicole Scarillo (pictured left) gave the Cougars the lead for good with a two-run single up the middle. Scarillo would score the final run of the inning on a RBI single by senior first baseman Katie Yard for the 5-2 lead.
An inning later, the Cougars extended the lead to 7-2 when Binkiewicz had a RBI double and would score on an outfield throwing error.
The Lions pulled to within 7-5 in the top of the sixth inning with one swing of the bat, as senior Caitlyn Seamster drilled a three-run homerun to left field.
TCNJ brought the tying run to the plate in the top of seventh with outs, however a groundout ended the game and advanced the defending NJAC champions back to the title game.
A year after earning the complete game win in the NJAC title game, senior right-hander Courtney Smyth has won all three NJAC tournament games for the Cougars, as she scattered seven hits and struck out four.
Binkiewicz (pictured right) finished 2-of-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, while Cegielski was 1-of-3 with two runs scored.
Seamster recorded the lone multi-hit game for the Lions, as she was 2-of-3 with three RBI and one run scored.
