UNION, N.J. (4/23/13) – Sophomore Courtney Yard re-wrote the Kean softball record books on Tuesday in the Cougars' split with Richard Stockton College. Yard struck out 15 batters in game one – obliterating her own record of 12 in a game set earlier this year. As an encore, she tossed a no-hit shutout in game two.
Overall, Yard pitched 14 innings while allowing just one solo homerun. The sophomore will enter the final day of the regular season one K away from tying the Kean career strikeout record.
Game One
Yard (pictured left) and Stockton pitcher Michelle Pietrocola pitched lights-out over the first four innings, until Arielle Cooke got a hold of a pitch at the letters and knocked it over the left-centerfield fence for a solo home run.
Perhaps Kean's best chance for scoring in game one came in the second, when Kelly Moorehead doubled down the leftfield line. She advanced to third with two outs, but was left stranded there as the inning ended. It marked the only time the Cougars advanced a runner past second base in the first game.
Both teams came into the day's proceedings with 8-6 conference records, making a split a high priority for the Cougars as the teams began the second game.
Game Two
After four innings without a score for either side, Alexa Cavasco worked a walk to lead off the fifth for Kean, but the Ospreys got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play that sent the game scoreless into the sixth.
After a 1-2-3 top of the inning, Katie Schuh beat out an infield single to again put the lead runner on for the Cougars. This time, Megan Cegielski and Sandra Binkiewicz followed with singles of their own to load the bases with nobody out.
It was Yard who finally ended the Kean scoring drought with a line single up the middle, and Moorehead followed with a sac fly to center to make the score 2-0. Kean pushed across another unearned run and took a 3-0 lead into the seventh.
With Yard one out away from a no-no, third baseman Courtney Melchionna made a great diving stab at a ball that seemed destined for left field that allowed Yard to nail down her first collegiate no-hitter.
Kean will close out the 2013 regular season with two NJAC games at Ramapo College on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. With a win, the Cougars will guarentee themselves a spot in the NJAC Championship.
