UNION, N.J. (3/23/14) – The Kean University softball team split a Sunday doubleheader with DeSales University, losing a 1-0 pitchers' duel before topping the Bulldogs 5-2 in the nightcap. The game two victory gave Kean head coach Margie Acker the 300th win of her coaching career.
Starting pitchers Courtney Yard and DJ McCauley were dominant in the first five innings of game one. Yard held the Bulldogs scoreless in that time with two strikeouts and four hits allowed. But McCauley was even better – she only surrendered two hits and struck out five Kean batters.
DeSales loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth with the help of a pair of Kean miscues. McCauley singled to begin the inning and came around to score what turned out to be the only run of the game on an error.
Kean was still in dire straits but a linedrive double play turned by freshmen Emily Sabo and Amanda Berezny helped the Cougars get out of the jam just allowing the one unearned run. Kean got another good defensive play in the seventh when Yard fielded a bunt and fired to catcher Jill Martin to cut off a Bulldog insurance run and keep the score 1-0.
But the Cougars were unable to generate any offense against McCauley, who did not allow any runners past second base in the game and finished with nine strikeouts. Neither team had an extra-base hit in game one as Yard took her second loss of the season. She did not allow an earned run in either of her two losses this season.
Pitching and defense were the story of the second game as well. Kean starter Rebecca Rotola shutout the Bulldogs through the first five innings and Kean made only one error in the game – a questionable call at that.
Kean got on the board in the third with an unearned run; Sabo (pictured left) walked and stole second base. She was able to scamper home on a booted groundball that gave Kean its first lead of the afternoon.
After two more scoreless innings by Rotola, Sabo started the Cougars again with a double to the gap in right-center. Sandra Binkiewicz singled to drive in Sabo and Yard followed with an RBI single of her own. But the big blast came off the bat of Kelly Moorehead, who crushed a 2-0 pitch over the wall in straightaway centerfield for a two-run homer that med the score 5-0.
DeSales got two back the next inning when Alexis Beaumont hit a two-run homerun of her own, but Rotola shut the Bulldogs down the rest of the way to earn her seventh win of the year. She walked only one batter and struck out the final batter of the game.
The Cougars will open NJAC play on Saturday with a trip to Rowan University - last year's regular-season conference champions. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
