VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (3/2/12) – The Kean
University softball team opened the 2012 campaign at the Virginia
Wesleyan Beach Blast on Friday afternoon. The Cougars
defeated Randolph-Macon College (2-1) in nine innings in the
opener, before falling to #11 Christopher Newport University (9-1)
in six innings.
Sophomore catcher Jillian Martin blasted a
walk-off two-run homerun in the bottom of the ninth against
Randolph-Macon, while rookie Courtney Yard went
the distance with the complete game victory.
GAME ONE: Martin, Yard Lift Cougars Past
Randolph-Macon, 3-1, in Extra Innings
In her first season at Kean, Jillian Martin (pictured left) made
her first hit in a Cougar uniform count with the walk-off two-run
homer to left field in the bottom of the ninth.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when junior
Katie Schuh led off the inning with a walk and would eventually
scored on the sacrifice fly by Martin.
The Yellow Jackets knotted the game at a run apiece two innings
later with a leadoff homerun in the fourth inning.
The game would remain tied until the bottom of the ninth inning
when Martin ended the game with the homerun.
Yard finished with the four-hit complete-game victory in her
first appearance, as she had seven strikeouts in the win.
Schuh finished 1-of-2 with two walks and two runs scored.
GAME TWO: Christopher Newport Scores Six in Sixth
Inning for 9-1 Win
Christopher Newport scored eight runs in the fifth and sixth
innings to pull away for the 9-1 win in six innings on Friday
evening.
Trailing 1-0, Kean tied the game at 1-1 in the third
inning. Courtney Yard reach on an error and
would move over to third base on a line drive single off the
pitcher by Jillian Martin. Yard would then
score on the RBI groundout by Maria Scopellito to
tie the game.
The Captains took the lead two innings later with two runs in
the fifth before exploding for six runs in the sixth inning.
Yard (pictured right) allowed four runs in five innings of
work. At the plate, sophomores Sandra
Binkiewicz, Megan Cegielski and Martin
each had a hit.
Kean is scheduled to return to the field on Saturday against
Peace College (10am) and Washington College, Md. (Noon).
