Softball Moves on to NJAC Title
Game
EWING, N.J. (5/8/10) –
The Kean University softball team advanced to the New Jersey
Athletic Conference Championship game with a 6-2 win over
sixth-seeded Richard Stockton College on Saturday morning.
Senior right-hander Cassie Shotwell (pictured
right) picked up her second tournament win in as many days, while
junior senior Allison Lizzi and junior
Lindsay Kennedy combined to go 5-of-7 with three
runs scored and one RBI .
The fifth-seeded Cougars (28-14) will look for the
program's first-ever NJAC championship on Sunday, May 9, at
11 a.m., and will again face the Ospreys, a 3-2 winner over
third-seed Rowan University later in the day on Saturday.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Ospreys (24-14) took a
1-0 lead when senior first baseman Kelly Dodd took the
Shotwell pitch deep over the centerfield fence.
The Cougars answered right back in the top of the third inning
to take the lead for good. After rookie left fielder
Katie Schuh led off with a single and advanced to
second on the sacrifice bunt by senior Allison
Thibault, Kennedy reach on an infield single to put
runners on the corners. Lizzi followed with a double to
right-center to bring home Schuh and Yard singled to left field to
score Kennedy and Lizzi for the 3-1 lead.
A pair of sixth inning runs for Kean extended the lead to 5-2,
as Schuh had an RBI groundout to drive in rookie Kelsey
Hannan, who pinch ran for freshman Courtney
Melchionna after she led the inning off with a single to
right field. Sophomore Alicia Banz, who
doubled in the inning, would score on the next play when a two-out
Osprey error extended the inning.
The Ospreys got a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning on a
double by Dodd, before Shotwell helped herself out with an
insurance run in the top of the seventh with a RBI single to score
Lizzi, who singled earlier in the inning. Shotwell then
closed the door on the Ospreys in the bottom of the inning with a
strike-out, fly-out and groundout to send the Cougars to the
championship game.
Shotwell scattered six hits and allowed no walks, while she
recorded four strikeouts.
At the plate, Kennedy was 3-of-4 with one run scored, while
Lizzi (pictured left) was 2-of-3 with one RBI and two runs
scored. Yard was one of six other Cougars to have one hit,
while she also drove in a team-high two runs.
Dodd finished 2-of-3 with both RBI for the Ospreys.
