Softball Tries To Stay Afloat Against William Paterson
By Ryan Gaydos
@KUTowerSports
One more loss will end the season for the Kean University softball team. The Cougars are trying to bounce back against William Paterson Thursday afternoon at Rowan University in the second round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament after dropping its first round game to the Profs 3-1 Tuesday.
Courtney Yard will undoubtedly get the start for the Cougars as she has kept the team afloat all season long with her record-breaking career strikeout total and her 15-12 record with a 1.29 ERA in 29 games this season. Yard has kept the Cougars in most games this season and it will be up to the Cougars offense to try and get it done.
The Pioneers are coming off a tough loss against the 38-3 Montclair State Red Hawks Tuesday, 4-2. The Pioneers do have to good pitchers, which the Cougars may face Thursday. Kerrin Dys owns a 5-9 record this season with a 2.68 ERA. Her and freshman Chelsea Batelli both have appeared in 17 games this season. Batelli has started in 16 games while Dys has only started in 14 and with Batelli holding an 8-7 record and with Dys pitching against the Red Hawks Tuesday, Batelli may get the nod.
Junior shorstop Kaitlyn Miele, a reigning all-region pick is who the Cougars are going to be weary about. Miele .350 with 27 RBI this season.
In the two games against the Cougars, Miele was 4-for-7 with an RBI.
Kean split the double header with the Pioneers 9-7 and 4-6 back on April 16. Yard pitched in both of those games.
Meghan Cegielski and Kelly Moorehead were both important players in the games against the Pioneers. Both players will need to step up for head coach Margie Acker to save the season.