GLASSBORO, N.J. (4/30/13) – The Kean University softball team fell in the opening round of the NJAC Championship to No. 1 seed Rowan University by a 3-1 score on Tuesday. The Cougars had a 1-0 lead in the fourth but were not able to hold on for the upset over the ninth-ranked Profs.

After two scoreless innings Jill Martin led off the third inning with a line shot into leftfield for a single. Kelsey Hannan sacrificed her to second and Katie Schuh walked to put two runners on with one out. Megan Cegielski then beat out a bunt single to load the bases and Sandra Binkiewicz earned an RBI with a grounder to short that gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

With two outs in the Rowan fourth, Ashley DeYoung worked a walk and Meagan Lee lifted a flyball over the leftfield fence for a two-run go-ahead homerun that flipped the lead to the home side.

In the fifth, Schuh just missed a home run foul down the leftfield line that would have tied the game at two. Then in the home half, Rowan added some insurance when Jess Philips knocked in a run with an RBI double to the left-centerfield gap that made the score 3-1.

Kean put two runners on in the sixth, but with two out Philips – the Rowan thirdbaseman – snared Casey Glatts' smash down the line for the third out.

Down to their last licks in the seventh, Martin was hit by a pitch to lead off and brought the tying run to the plate. Cegielski (pictured left) then singled with two outs to keep the inning alive. Binkiewicz hit a linedrive as hard as one can hit a ball, but it was right at the Rowan shortstop to end both the rally and the game as the Profs held on for the win.  

Both Kean and Rowan will resume the NJAC Championship Tournament against new opponents on Friday back at Rowan University.