UNION, N.J. (4/24/16) – The Kean University softball team surrendered just one run in two games as the Cougars swept DeSales University by scores of 3-1 and 8-0 on Sunday. MacKenzie Valeriani hit a three-run homer in game one and Shannon McMahon twirled the game two shutout.
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Valeriani launched a majestic homerun down the leftfield line for 3-run dinger in the first inning of game one. It proved to be all offense the Cougars would need – or get – in the game, but it was enough as Kean won 3-1.
Katie Bearn hit a solo homer for DeSales in the second, but afterwards pitchers Kiele Eichlin and Andrea Artesani threw up all-zeroes on the scoreboard.
Eichlin tossed all seven innings and needed just 75 pitches for the complete game. She struck out three and scattered seven hits. Amanda Berezny turned a 5-5-3 double play and Emily Sabo ran down a popup along the rightfield line to help back her up.
Artesani allowed just three hits – two to Valeriani – and struck out five. Sabo had the other Kean single in game one.
Kean scored in the first inning of game one as well; Olivia Zengel and Samantha Krakower beat out infield singles and Valeriani drove in the game's first run with a productive groundout.
The Cougars had stranded six runners on base by the time Krakower stepped to the plate with two on and two outs in the fourth inning. The freshman came through with a clutch 2-RBI double that gave Kean some breathing room and made the score 3-0.
McMahon (pictured left) retired 11-stright batters to end the game and struck out three while giving up just two hits. She earned her sixth shutout of the season with just 45 pitches and improved her record to 10-6 on the year.
Kean had a fifth inning to remember. With the score 3-0 to start, Berezny, Caroline Ratti, Emily Bissonnette, Sara Vocisano and Zengel had five-straight singles to score two runs and load the bases for Sabo.
Sabo rose to the occasion; not only did her bases-clearing triple win the game in walk-off fashion via the 8-run-rule, it established a new school-record with 13 career triples, breaking former teammate Sandra Binkiewicz's career mark of 12. Zengel raced home with the walk-off run and Kean had its first sweep since April 6 against Rutgers-Newark.
DeSales is now 6-27, while Kean improved to 17-19 on the year.
The Cougars will return to NJAC play on Tuesday with two games at Stockton University beginning at 3 p.m.
