UNION, N.J. (4/11/13) – The Kean University softball team fell in game one but then battled Lebanon Valley College to a 0-0 tie in the nightcap of their doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. Play was suspended due to darkness in the fifth inning.

Game One

Kean got off on the wrong foot in the first game and was never able to recover its mojo in the opener. The Cougars surrendered six unearned runs in the first two innings and Sam Derr starred in the circle for the Dutchmen. The junior was perfect through three innings and carried a no-hitter through four.

Courtney Yard (pictured left) doubled to break-up the no-no in the fifth and came around to score. That run bought the Cougars another inning, but Lebanon Valley added two in the top of the sixth and forced an early end to the proceedings.

Ashlee Gieger pitched 4.2 innings of relief for Kean and allowed only one earned run while striking out four in another bright spot for Kean.

Game Two

The game was tight as Yard and Haley Neff dueled for the first four scoreless innings. A leadoff single for LVC in the fifth created one of the best scoring chances, but Kean catcher Jill Martin gunned her down trying to steal second.

It would turn out to be the last scoring threat of the day for either side, as heavy cloud cover and the ever-gathering gloom forced the umpires to suspend play. The game will be recorded as a scoreless tie.

Kelly Moorehead was the only Cougar with multiple hits on Thursday. Yard allowed three hits in five innings of work and struck out three.

The Cougars will hit the road for two NJAC games Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rutgers-Camden.