MONTCLAIR, N.J. (5/11/13) – The Kean University softball team had its 2013 NCAA Division III Softball Championship run end in a 1-0 loss to Susquehanna University on Saturday. It took two Crusader pitchers to match Kean starter Courtney Yard over the first six innings, but SU scraped across a run in the seventh to win.

Kean had the best scoring chance of the first three innings, when Casey Glatts led off with a groundball single through the left side. Kelsey Hannan then beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Alyssa Cantalini – the Susquehanna third baseman – made a good play to get the second out of the inning at the plate and the Crusaders escaped the jam scoreless.

In the fourth, Kean again put a runner on third with one out but could not bring her in to score as SU starter Sarah Hoffman wiggled out of deep trouble for the second time.

Kean advanced a runner on third for the third-straight inning in the fifth, but Susquehanna catcher Brittany Devlin picked off the Cougar runner at third for the last out of the frame and kept the game knotted up. Both teams had three hits and had committed one error after five full innings.

In the seventh, Susquehanna loaded the bases and scored the game's only run on a sacrifice fly hit by Brittany Murphy that scored Amanda Neveroski. Larissa Luu and Anna Heggenstaller had hits for the Crusaders in the frame. SU reliever Ashley Cole got the Cougars to go 1-2-3 in the seventh to give Susquehanna the win.

Saturday's game marked the final game for Kean seniors Katie Schuh, Kelsey Hannan, Courtney Melchionna and Katelyn Marinelli. Schuh was named to the Montclair Regional All-Tournament team after hitting .333 in the Cougars' three games.

Click here to see a postgame interview with Hannan, Schuh and head coach Margie Acker.

The Cougars end their season 28-19-1 and in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years. Kean reached the NJAC Championship Game and won four games against ranked opponents.