NEWARK, N.J. (4/9/14) – The Kean University softball team - which ascended back to the Top-25 on Wednesday – used a four-run seventh inning to come from behind and win 5-4 in game two against Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday night. It was part of the Cougars' third NJAC sweep of the young season as they also won the first game by a score of 6-2.
Kean is now 7-1 in the league and 21-5 overall, while the Scarlet Raiders sank to 9-17 and 0-8 in the conference.
Game One
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Kean scored three two-out runs in the second. Amanda Berezny began the rally with a walk and Megan Cegielski, Emily Sabo and Sandra Binkiewicz had three-consecutive two-out basehits to plate three runners. Rutgers-Newark answered with an unearned run in the home half of the inning to make the score 3-1 after two frames.
Newark scored again in the third. Kelsey Lukas reached on a walk and Gabby Spinella's bloop single to centerfield allowed the Raiders to cut the Kean lead in half.
With two outs in the Kean fourth, Binkiewicz socked a drive over the centerfielder's head that bounced over the wall for an RBI double. Courtney Yard followed with a single and Kelly Moorehead's triple to right cleared the bases to make the score 6-2.
Yard also starred in the circle for the Cougars. She pitched all seven innings and allowed just one earned run for her 11th victory of the season. She struck out three and scattered six hits in the win.
Game Two
Moorehead made the best play of the first inning, diving fully horizontal to snare the first out of the frame behind third base. She went on to lead off the second inning with a basehit to right field. Tiffany Varriello also singled in the frame but the Cougars left runners on second and third as the inning ended.
Cougar starter Rebecca Rotola (pictured left) was perfect save for one Kean error in the first four frames, including a four-pitch inning in the home half of the fourth.
In the fifth, Jill Martin, Cegielski and Binkiewicz all had consecutive bunt singles to put three runners on with one out. It was the best scoring chance for Kean until that point but the Cougars could not push the go-ahead run across.
Rotola continued to deal, needing just 48 pitches to get through the first five innings. She struck out four in that time and allowed only the one baserunner on an error as she carried a no-hitter into the sixth.
Moorehead led off the sixth with a majestic triple over the rightfielder's head. This time, the Cougars wasted little time bringing the runner home; Emily Bissonnette lifted the first pitch she saw into deep leftfield for a sac fly that scored the game's first run.
But the Scarlet Raiders struck for four unearned runs in the home half of the sixth. Rutgers-Newark was aided by three Cougar errors but also got their only two hits of the game in the inning. Newark led 4-1 going into the seventh.
But what a seventh it was for Kean: Cegielski reached on an error and Sabo singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Binkiewicz laced a single up the middle to score one, and Yard thumped a ground-rule double to right that tied the game at four. Moorehead launched another deep shot to right that allowed her to reach third and drive in Yard for the go-ahead run; in the blink of an eye Kean was back on top, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Rotola came back in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order to cement her 10th win of the season. She struck out four and did not allow an earned run in a masterful complete-game performance.
The Cougars will remain on the road to take on No. 12 Lebanon Valley College on Thursday. LVC is currently undefeated with a 17-0 record. First pitch tomorrow will be at 3 p.m.
