UNION, N.J. (4/6/11) – The Kean University softball team swept Rutgers-Newark in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with an 8-0 five-inning victory and 7-6 win on Wednesday afternoon.
GAME ONE: Smyth One-Hits Rutgers-Newark in 8-0 Shutout
Senior right-hander Courtney Smyth allowed just one hit and junior shortstop Alicia Banz ended the game with a two-run homerun in the 8-0 win over the Scarlet Raiders in the opener.
Smyth (pictured left) retired the final 13 batters of the game and allowed just an infield single in the second inning to rookie AJ Affholter, as she struck out two and allowed no walks.
The Cougars (6-10, 4-0 NJAC) exploded for six runs in the first inning, as they sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded six hits in the inning. Banz led off with a double off the right field fence and scored the game's first run two batters later when rookie left-fielder Sandra Binkiewicz singled up the middle. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, senior centerfielder Lindsay Kennedy had a bases-clearing double to give the Cougars the 6-0 lead.
The score remained that way until the sixth inning as the Cougars were held hitless until rookie right-fielder Megan Cegielski reached with two outs on her second bunt single of the game before coming around to score on Banz's first homerun of the season to close out the eight-run victory.
Banz finished 2-of-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Kennedy was 1-of-3 with three RBI. Cegielski added two hits.
For Rutgers-Newark (4-14, 0-4 NJAC), freshman right-hander Liane Drastal went the distance, allowing eight hits and six earned runs.
GAME TWO: Cougars Rally and Hang on for 7-6 Win
The Cougars erased an early 4-1 deficit and held on in the seventh inning with the tying run at second base to complete the sweep with the 7-6 win.
After Sandra Binkiewicz had a solo homerun in the first inning to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead, Rutgers-Newark finally touched Kean starter Courtney Smyth with back-to-back singles to open the inning and a walk to load the bases with no outs. First baseman Gabby Spinella followed with a long single to centerfield to drive in two and give the Scarlet Raiders a 2-1 lead.
Left fielder Nicole Odell then worked a bases-loaded walk off of Kean reliever Kim Prevedel to give Rutgers-Newark the 3-1 lead after one inning.
The Scarlet Raiders extended the lead to 4-1 an inning later when Spinella had another RBI single.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Cougars regained the lead as sophomore third baseman Courtney Melchionna (pictured right) had a two-run homerun to left-center and Binkiewicz added a two-run double later in the inning to give Kean a 5-4 lead.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning, as senior catcher Nicole Scarillo had a RBI single for Kean and Rutgers-Newark catcher Monica Liotto led off the bottom half of the inning with a solo homerun to keep the Kean lead at one run at 6-5.
The Cougars scored what proved to be the decisive run in the top of the seventh, when with runners on the corners, rookie Megan Cegielski stole second and pinch-runner Sam Gniazdowski broke for home on the throw for the 7-5 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, a two-out error by the Cougars allowed Rutgers-Newark to pull within 7-6 and with the tying run on second, a groundout to shortstop Alicia Banz sealed the sweep for the Cougars.
Binkiewicz finished 2-of-3 with three RBI and one run scored, while Melchionna added two hits, two RBI and one run scored.
Prevedel (4-3) picked up the win in relief, as she scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run in 6.2 innings of work.
Spinella finished 3-of-4 with three RBI to lead the Scarlet Raiders.
