WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (3/11/14) – The Kean University softball team swept Muskingum University and Mitchell College 4-2 and 13-1 on Tuesday morning. Kean pitchers allowed just one earned run in two games for the second-straight day. The Cougars now sport a 1.27 earned run average this year.
Game One vs. Muskingum University
Megan Cegielski and Emily Sabo started the game with singles for the Cougars, but were still standing at second and first, respectively, when the first inning ended. Muskingum pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to take a 1-0 lead after one.
Kean tied it up in the third. Jill Martin walked and stole second with a great fadeaway slide. Sabo continued her torrid start to the season with an RBI single to the left-centerfield gap that knotted the game.
In the fourth frame, Amanda Berezny led off with an infield single that ricocheted off the third-base bag for a hit. Martin followed with a one-out walk to put two runners on. Cegielski's second hit of the game drove in the go-ahead run and put runners on second and third after an overthrow.
Martin was then able to score an insurance run on a passed ball. After Sabo was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners, she and Cegielski executed a double-steal to score Kean's third run of the inning as the speedy rightfielder swiped the dish.
The Muskies got one right back in the bottom of the fifth, but sophomore first baseman Tiffany Varriello saved the Cougars from much bigger trouble; with the bases loaded and one out, she dove to snare a line-drive bound for the rightfield line and then slapped the bag to double the runner off and get starter Courtney Yard out of a jam.
The next Muskingum inning also ended with a double play – this one was a strike 'em out, throw 'em out twin killing.
Yard pitched well, just as she's done all season. She did not allow an earned run to run her record to 4-0 on the year. She struck out four batters and lowered her season ERA to 0.93.
Game Two vs. Mitchell
After a scoreless top half of the first for Mitchell, Sabo walked and stole second for the Cougars. An errant throw got her to third base and she was able to score the game's first run when the Mariners were preoccupied with getting an out at second base.
Kean did some more damage in the second. Yard singled to start and Emily Bissonnette was hit by a pitch. An error loaded the bases. Cegielski singled to drive in a run and move everyone up 60 feet. Then Sabo had the big swing: a slicing triple to the left-centerfield gap that split the outfielders on its way to the wall and emptied all three bases. Sabo came around to score on a single by Sandra Binkiewicz as the Cougars lept out ahead 6-0.
Yard hit an inside-the-park homer to lead off the third. It was her second home run of the year and came on a line-drive down the rightfield line that got behind the sprawling Mariner outfielder.
Kean scored six runs in the fourth to put the game away. Cegielski had two hits in the inning as the Cougars batted around, and Sabo, Binkiewicz, Kelly Moorehead and Yard also knocked hits in the frame as Kean took a 13-1 lead. Cegielski (pictured left) finished the day with five hits.
Starter Rebecca Rotola earned the win; she pitched four innings and allowed just one run with a strikeout. Stephanie Gilbert came in to wrap up the game for the Cougars and kept Mitchell off the board.
The Cougars will return to the Auburndale Complex on Wednesday to reprise their matchup with Mitchell College at 1 p.m.
