UNION, N.J. (3/22/14) – The No. 25 Kean University pitching staff shone again as the Cougars allowed just one run in two games to hand the College of Staten Island two losses on Saturday.

Kean starting pitcher Courtney Yard (pictured left) had three strikeouts in the first two innings, and then doubled to lead off second. But Jacqueline Cautela got a couple big K's to strand the runner there and keep the game scoreless for the moment.

The Dolphins got on the board first as two-out rally scored a run. Stephanie Solari had the RBI for CSI.

But Kean asserted itself in the fourth. Emily Sabo singled and stole second to start, then Yard singled and Kelly Moorehead walked to load the bases. Kate Smith knocked in the tying run with a hit and then Amanda Berezny launched a sacrifice fly to put the Cougars in the lead, where they'd stay the rest of the day.

The Cougars exploded for five more runs in the fifth; Jill Martin, Megan Cegielski, Sandra Binkiewicz, Yard, Smith and Emily Bissonnette all had basehits in the frame to put the game out of reach.

Kean scored two more runs in the sixth to end the game via the run-rule; Smith's basehit down the line would have gone for extra bases but scored the final run from third, giving Kean an eight-run cushion and the game one victory.

Yard was 4-for-4 at the plate and struck out 10 Dolphins in six innings of game one, and then got game two started with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. A hit by Cegielski and a CSI error staked Kean to an early 2-0 advantage.

Kean starter Rebecca Rotola allowed a double to leadoff game, but gave up no more hits until being relieved at the end of six masterful innings of work. The righty allowed just three baserunners all day on the way to her sixth win of the season.

Kean added three more runs in the second; four-straight singles by Martin, Cegielski, Sabo and Binkiewicz highlighted that frame.

Both offenses were quiet the rest of the game until another string of consecutive hits by Cegielski, Sabo and Binkiewicz pushed then final run across in the sixth. Stephanie Gilbert came in to slam the door in the seventh inning.

Cegielski finished 3-for-3 in game two and scored five runs on the day, while Yard was 6-for-7 at the plate with four RBI in the two games. After allowing the first score of the afternoon, Kean scored 15 unanswered runs. Kean is now 12-2 on the year, while CSI sank to 3-4.

The Cougars will continue their homestand with a Sunday doubleheader against DeSales University at 12 noon.