CLERMONT, Fla. (3/18/12) – The Kean
University softball team split a pair of games in its first action
on Spring Break at the National Training Center, defeating Tufts
University, 9-3, in its first game, before falling to Babson
College, 9-4, in the nightcap.
GAME ONE: Offense Powers Kean to 9-3 Win Over
Tufts
The Cougars scored a season-high nine runs on 12 hits to open up
the team's spring break trip with a 9-3 win over Tufts
University. Sophomore left fielder Sandra
Binkiewicz was 2-of-4 with two runs scored and an RBI to
pace the offensive output.
Kean opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning, as
Binkiewicz led the inning off with a single and advanced to third
base when sophomore first baseman Kelly Moorehead
reached on an error on the sacrifice bunt. Rookie
right-hander Courtney Yard (pictured left) plated
Binkiewicz with a RBI single and Moorehead would score on the RBI
groundout by catcher Jillian Martin later in the
inning.
An inning later, Binkiewicz had a one-out triple to bring home
junior second baseman Katie Schuh, who had walked,
and Binkiewicz extended the lead to 4-0 when she scored on the
illegal pitch. Yard would push the lead to 5-0 with the final
run of the inning when she walked and scored on the RBI single by
senior shortstop Alicia Banz.
The Cougars tacked on one run in the fourth inning and three
more in the fifth inning, before Tufts avoided the eight-run rule
with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The
Jumbos tacked on a single run in the bottom of the seventh
inning.
Yard (3-1) picked up the complete-game victory, scattering 10
hits and allowing two earned runs, while striking out three.
At the plate, freshmen Maria Scopollito and
Jess Fanty each had two hits, while Banz finished
2-of-3 with two RBI.
GAME TWO: Babson Pulls Away for 9-4
Win
Babson College (3-3) took an early 4-0 lead and pulled away with
three runs in the final inning of a 9-4 win over the Cougars (4-2)
in the nightcap late Sunday evening.
Babson got the first two runners on base to open the game, with
second baseman Jackie Enos scoring on a RBI single and
left fielder Jessica Pashos give the Beavers a 2-0 lead
when she scorede on a RBI groundout.
In the top of the third inning, Babson extended the lead to 4-0,
however the Cougars cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the
bottom half of the inning. Junior Katie
Schuh singled and would score on the RBI groundout by
Jess Fanty and Sandra Binkiewicz
(pictured right) pulled Kean to within 4-2 when she scored on a
single by Kelly Moorehead.
The two teams traded single runs in each of the next two
innings, before Babson plated three runs in the top of the seventh
inning.
Sophomore right-fielder Megan Cegielski led the
Cougars with a pair of hits, including a bunt single and a
double.
Kean returns to action tomorrow evening, when the Cougars face
Western New England University (5 p.m.) and University of St.
Thomas (7 p.m.).
