UNION, N.J. (4/14/12) – Freshman
Maria Scopellito and junior Courtney
Melchionna each homered to help lead the Kean University
softball team to a sweep of The College of New Jersey in New Jersey
Athletic Conference doubleheader action on Saturday
afternoon.
The Cougars (18-10, 8-2) surpassed their win total from a year
ago behind wins from freshmen right-handers Courtney
Yard and Ashlee Gieger in a rematch of
last year's NJAC title games with TCNJ (17-11, 6-4 NJAC).
GAME ONE: Scopellito Homer in Fifth Inning Lifts
Kean
Rookie centerfielder Maria Scopellito's
first-career homerun was a timely one, lifting the Cougars to a 2-0
win in the opener, as fellow freshman Courtney
Yard earned the complete game shutout with the
three-hitter.
After a scoreless first four and a half innings of action, senior
shortstop Alicia Banz had a two-out single through
the left side and Scopellito (pictured left) followed with the
two-run homerun to straight-away centerfield for the game's
only runs.
Yard retired the side in the top of the sixth, all on
ground-outs, and allowed just a lead-off walk an inning later,
before third baseman Courtney Melchionna secured
the final out on the pop-up.
Banz was 2-of-2 and sophomore left fielder Sandra
Binkiewicz was 1-of-2 in the win. Yard (14-5)
allowed just the three hits and scattered two walks with two
strikeouts.
Senior right-hander Lauren Fitzsimmons suffered the
loss, despite just allowing four hits and striking out
six.
GAME TWO: Kean Takes Early 6-0 Lead; Hangs on in
Final Innings to Complete the Sweep
The Cougars scored three runs in each of the first two innings
and held off the Lions with the go-ahead run on base in the seventh
inning to escape with the 6-4 win in the nightcap.
Kean wasted little time taking a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the
first inning after Alicia Banz led off with a
single and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches.
Maria Scopellito followed with a walk and stole
second, before Banz came home to score when the Lions attempted to
tag her out at home on the fielder's choice RBI by junior
second baseman Katie Schuh.
Junior Courtney Melchionna (pictured left)
followed with a double down the right-field line to score both
Scopellito and Schuh, as the ball just tipped off the outstretched
glove of a charging right-fielder Michelle
Casale.
An inning later, Scopellito singled down the left field line and
Schuh reached on the fielder's choice when the error moved
Scopellito over to second base, setting up the three-run blast to
right-centerfield by Melchionna, giving the Cougars the 6-0
lead.
TCNJ cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning
on the RBI groundout by senior left fielder Crystal Lee
that resulted in a pair of Cougar errors on the play.
An inning later, the Lions cut the lead in half on a RBI double to
right-center by designated player Nicole
Brodbeck.
In the top of the seventh inning, TCNJ pulled to within 6-4 when
Lee scored on the RBI double by Casale. After a walk to third
baseman Kelly Hommen, the Cougars recorded the second out
of the inning on the force-out at third base. Second baseman
Ashley Sogluizzo reached for the third time after being
hit by a pitch to load the bases as the go-ahead run, however
Brodbeck had the long fly ball to the warning track in right field
that Kean junior Megan Cegielski secured for the
final out of the game.
Freshman Ashlee Gieger (2-3) (pictured right)
earned the win, allowing just one earned run on three hits through
the first 5.1 innings of the game. Courtney
Yard struck out two in the final 1.2 innings of work.
Melchionna finished 2-of-3 with four RBI and one run scored.
Casale and Brodbeck were each 2-of-4 with one RBI.
The Cougars travel to NJAC-leader Montclair State University on
Tuesday, April 17. The doubleheader starts at 3 p.m.
