Softball Shocks Rowan; Moves Into NJAC Finals
By Ryan Gaydos
@KUTowerSports
Top-seeded Rowan, a team that the Kean University softball team already lost to earlier in the week, was ousted twice Saturday. First to Monclair State and then to the Cougars, who eliminated them from the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament with an 8-3 victory.
The weather was hot and the Cougars’ bats were even hotter. Meghan Cegielski contributed with a 3-for-4 day and scored twice for the Cougars. Catcher Jill Martin did the most damage for Kean as she lifted a two-run home run off of Profs’ pitcher Beth Ann Hyland to help carry the Cougars in the win. Sandra Binkiewicz also contributed with two RBI in the win as she went 2-for-4.
Sophomore Courtney Yard somehow did it again keeping her composure throughout the game against the tough Profs. Yard struck out seven batters and allowed three runs on nine hits going the entire game for her 18th win of the season.
Next for Kean is Montclair State.
If the Cougars win against the Red Hawks in the first game of the day, they would force a second game for all the marbles.
Montclair State is coming into the game with a record of 40-3. The good news for the Cougars is that they have beaten Montclair State before this season way back on April 20 when the teams split a double header. Kean won the second game of the double header 2-1 in nine innings but lost the first one 1-0 in nine innings as well.
Redhawks pitcher Alex Hill will probably take the hill looking for some revenge against Kean, who handed Hill her first loss of the season in that double header. She was named to her third NJAC Pitcher of the Year award this season and is one of the toughest in the nation.
It will be a dog fight Sunday.