KISSIMMEE, Fla. (3/8/16) – The No. 24 Kean University softball team dropped the final two games of its Florida trip to Central College and Carroll University on Wednesday. The Cougars battled the 17th-ranked Dutch in a 2-1 game to open the day.
Game One vs. No. 17 Central (Iowa)
After the first two innings went by scoreless, Kean struck for a run in the top of the third. Olivia Zengel led off the frame with a single to the shortstop. Emily Bissonnette walked to move Zengel to scoring position with one out.
Facing an 0-2 count, Dana Knapp launched a long RBI single down the leftfield line. The ball rolled to the fence and easily scored Zengel, Knapp but had to stay at first because the runners were holding to see if the ball would be caught. With two outs, MacKenzie Valeriani hammered a pitch, but it was right at the leftfielder who made the play to save two runs. It would turn out to be the turning point of the game.
Central pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. The Dutch stole three bases in the inning, and the go-ahead run scored on a strange play where the runner raced home all the way from second base on an infield single. Sarah Bowen and Sadie Baugher had the RBIs for the Dutch.
Kean starter Kielie Eichlin did an admirable job against the 17th-ranked team in the nation. She scattered six hits, did not walk a batter and though there were no official Kean errors in the game, it could be argued that she deserved a shutout.
Central's Karly Olsen earned the complete-game win, holding Kean to three hits despite walking six.
Game Two vs. Carroll
After Carroll scored an unearned run in the top of the first, and incredible play by Kara McCaughrean in left field helped keep Kean off the board in the home half f the first: Knapp blasted one, McCaughrean made an over-the-shoulder catch and had enough presence of mind to detect that the Cougar runner on third left early and doubled her up to end the inning
Eight-straight runners reached base for the Pioneers in the fifth, putting the game out of reach for the Cougars. Sabo, Katie Garbarino and Caroline Ratti (pictured left) all had two hits in the game, with Sabo picking up a two-out, two-RBI single in the sixth to keep Kean from being run-ruled.
The Cougars will head to Columbus, Georgia tomorrow to take part in the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic this weekend. The first game will be Friday against Virginia Wesleyan College at 12 noon.
