UNION, N.J. (5/9/14) – Pitcher Courtney Yard threw a shutout and was a strike away from a no-hitter as the No. 19 Kean University softball team dominated Husson University 8-0 in five innings on Friday.
Eagle Breanna Martin was the first baserunner of the day and worked a leadoff walk in the second inning for Husson, but Yard stranded her right there by getting the next three Eagles in order.
The Cougars got their first hit on an infield single by Kelly Moorehead, and Tiffany Varriello followed that up by ripping a linedrive down the leftfield line. Kean had runners at the corners with one out but Husson's Amanda Ryan pitched out of the jam to keep the game scoreless through two.
Leadoff hitter Megan Cegielski got a Kean rally going in the third with a walk. Emily Sabo singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Sandra Binkiewicz stroked an RBI double over the rightfielder's head to give the Cougars the first run of the game.
Moorehead followed that up with her second basehit of the game; a ringing RBI double to the wall in left-center. Yard helped her own cause with an RBI basehit that made the score 3-0 in favor of the hosts.
Yard continued to pitch well. She had four strikeouts in the first four innings and had not allowed a hit.
Tonianne DeMatteo missed a homerun by just a foot leading off the fourth. Then Jill Martin lined a single and Cegielski beat out a bunt to load the bases. The good news kept coming for the Cougars: Sabo had an RBI walk with the bases loaded, Binkiewicz singled to right for another RBI. Yard had a sac fly and Moorehead (pictured left) drove in two to cap the Kean scoring and quickly make the score 8-0.
With two outs in the fifth, down to their final strike, Chelsea Brennan lifted a single over the secondbaseman to break up the no-hitter. But Yard finished the game and added seven strikeouts to her season total. She now has 196 K's, 21 wins, 24 complete games and five shutouts this season. Moorehead led the team with three ribbies, while Binkiewicz and Yard both had two. Cegielski, Sabo and Binkiewicz – the 1-2-3- hitters- all scored twice for the Cougars.
Kean will play Saturday at 11 a.m. in the winner's bracket championship game against Lebanon Valley College.
Husson will stage an elimination game against Keene State College at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Kean post-game interviews
Husson post-game interviews
