UNION, N.J. (4/21/18)- Katie Debbie finished with two hits and two RBI's, including a walk-off double in the nightcap as the Kean University softball team split a doubleheader with the conference leader Lions of the College of New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.
Game 1: TCNJ 2, Kean 0
The Lions (24-5, 12-1 NJAC) pitching carried them in game one as freshman Alanna Namit tossed her fourth no-hitter of the season with 13 strikeouts as TCNJ blanked Kean (21-8, 6-5 NJAC) in the opener.
Jacqueline Riley fanned three batters and fell to 7-5 overall. Namit improved to a perfect 12-0 on the season.
Game 2: Kean 4, TCNJ 3
Debbie went 2-for-3 with two RBI's, while Riley went 2-for-3 with an RBI as the Cougars (22-8, 7-5 NJAC) snapped the Lions (24-6, 12-2) seven game winning streak and handed TCNJ just their second loss in the NJAC this season.
Kean took an early 2-0 lead on back-to-back RBI's by Erin Hollyfield and Riley. Debbie helped Kean increase their lead to 3-1 in the fifth with a single through the left side that scored Olivia Zengel. TCNJ evened the contest up at 3-3 entering the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run by Jess McGuire and a RBI single from Lauren Conroy.
In the seventh, the Lions retired two batters before Hollyfield reached on an error and Riley singled up the middle. After Tatiana Yourstone was subbed in to pinch run for Hollyfield, Debbie came to the plate and ripped a line drive to the wall that allowed Yourstone to score the winning run from second.
Kaitlin Stahlbrand improved to 10-3 overall with the victory.
Head Coach Margie Acker and the Cougars will return to action tomorrow, Sun. Apr. 22nd, in Glassboro, N.J. against the nationally-ranked Profs of Rowan University at 12:00 p.m.
