UNION, N.J. (5/7/21) – Taryn DiGiacomo tallied four hits and two victories in the circle as the fourth seed Kean University softball team advanced to Tuesday's New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament (NJAC) semifinals with a doubleheader sweep of the fifth seed William Paterson University on Friday afternoon.
Kean 5, William Paterson 1
DiGiacomo and
Julie Raba both finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while
Jenn Majorczak went 1-for-1 with two RBI's and a run scored as the Cougars (22-7) used a four run inning to propel them past the Pioneers (10-13) in game one.
The game remained scoreless until the fifth, when Kean notched four runs on three hits. After loading the bases, Majorczak drove in two runs with an RBI single.
Gabriella Fredette added a run on the very next at-bat with an RBI fielder's choice that scored Raba. Majorczak eventually crossed the dish as
Maddie Carlson hit an RBI sacrifice fly and Kean maintained a 4-0 advantage.
The Cougars added another run in the sixth when
Paige Metz blasted a solo homerun to center field.
The Pioneers earned their first run of the afternoon with a double down the right field line in the seventh.
DiGiacomo struck out eight batters in the complete game victory.
Kean 4, William Paterson 3
Carlson went 1-for-2 with an RBI, while
Annabella Marino finished 1-for-1 with an RBI as the Cougars (23-7) battled back from a two run deficit to defeat the Pioneers (10-14) in the nightcap.
Kean took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Paterson error, before the Pioneers answered with two runs in the second and a run in the fourth. The Cougars trailed 3-1 entering the sixth. In the sixth, Kean erased the Paterson lead with two runs on three hits. DiGiacomo scored on a wild pitch and Carlson hit an RBI single as Kean knotted everything up at 3-3.
The winning run would cross the plate in the seventh, when Marino pinch hit for Bonfanti and smacked an RBI single that scored Metz and gave Kean the 4-3 advantage.
DiGiacomo earned the decision in a relief appearance as the senior struck out one batter and allowed only two hits in the final four innings.
Head Coach
Margie Acker and the Cougars will return to action in Glassboro, N.J. on Tuesday, May 11, against the top seed Profs of Rowan University for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.