EWING, N.J. (4/6/13) – The Kean University softball team hung tough with No. 23 The College of New Jersey on Saturday but found itself on the short end of both results of the doubleheader. The Cougars battled into extras in first game (2-1) before falling 4-2 in the second.

Kean starter Courtney Yard (pictured left) pitched valiantly in game one; she and counterpart Ashtin Helmer dueled for seven scoreless innings before going to the international tiebreaker. Courtney Melchionna stroked a two-out RBI basehit to give the Cougars the first run of the game in the top of the eighth, but TCNJ answered back with two unearned runs in the home half to take the opener.

The Cougars allowed a two-run homer by Kelly Hommen in the first inning of game two, but cut their deficit in half when Melchionna belted her second-straight RBI single to drive in Cat Riechers.

The Lions added two more in the third and kept their 4-1 lead until the final inning. Katie Schuh drew a walk to begin the seventh for Kean and Sandra Binkiewicz brought her in to chip away at the lead. A TCNJ error put the tying run on base, but Alex Carisone came in the circle and got two flyouts to earn her first save of the year.

Yard pitched a total of nine innings on Saturday without allowing an earned run. She struck out seven batters and had two of Kean's seven hits at the plate.

Kean will begin a four-game homestand with a pair of NJAC test against Rutgers-Newark at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.