GALLOWAY, N.J. (4/24/14) – The No. 24 Kean University softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of Richard Stockton College on Thursday by scores of 5-3 and 3-2. Senior shortstop Kelly Moorehead drove in six of Kean's eight runs, including a game-one grand slam.
Junior hurler Courtney Yard (pictured left) earned the win in game one and came in to collect the save in game two.
The Cougars began the day ranked sixth in the NCAA East Region and are now 27-9 and 12-4 in the NJAC. Stockton – ranked No. 10 in the East region – fell to 19-13 and 7-9 in the NJAC. With the two wins Kean kept pace in the NJAC standings and can still finish as high as second place with one more league doubleheader remaining.
In game one, Megan Cegielski led off with a walk and a stolen base. With two outs, Moorehead knocked her in – a refrain that would become familiar to the fans in attendance.
In the third inning, Emily Sabo and Yard sandwiched walks around a Sandra Binkiewicz single to load the bases for Moorehead. She capitalized by launching her team-leading fourth home run over the leftfield fence for a grand slam that gave Kean a 5-0 lead.
Yard made that stand up, surrendering just one earned run as she went the distance for her 15th win of the season. She struck out seven while scattering six hits.
There was some trouble in the final frame, when the first two runners scored unearned runs and the Ospreys eventually put the tying run on base and brought the game-winning run to the plate. But Yard struck out the final batter swinging to deliver the 5-3 victory.
The Cougars had to come back in game two when a first-inning leadoff walk came around to score and gave Stockton an early lead. Kean had baserunners in both the first and second frames but had nothing on the scoreboard to show for it.
Kean finally broke through in the third. Sabo, Yard and Moorehead strung together three singles to tie the game at one.
With the game still tied in the fifth, Sabo sparked another rally with a leadoff single. Binkiewicz followed with a base knock back through the box to set the table for Yard. The Stockton native stroked a 2-RBI double down the leftfield line to give the Cougars the lead.
A two-out rally in the sixth brought Stockton back within one, but Yard – who pitched the last three innings – struck out the side in the seventh to cement her first save of the season.
Rebecca Rotola earned the victory with one earned run in four innings for her 12th win of the year.
The Cougars will host the final two games of the year on Saturday when they take on Ramapo College at 1 p.m. In between games of the doubleheader Kean will honor the members of its senior class with its annual Senior Day festivities.
