Box Score WAYNE, N.J. – Third-seeded Rowan (33-10, 14-4 NJAC) scored twice during the top of the eighth to defeat fourth-seeded Kean (32-10, 14-4 NJAC), 4-2, in Game 10 and stay alive in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Tournament May 4.
The 24th-ranked Cougars got on the board during their first at bat. Senior right fielder Megan Cegielski led off the inning with a double and advanced to second when senior center fielder Sandra Binkiewicz was intentionally walked with one out. After senior Krysti Maronski induced a fly ball for the second out of the inning, senior Kelly Moorehead singled to right field to plate Cegielski and give Kean a 1-0 lead.
Senior left fielder Jennifer Arcella reached second on an error and advanced to third on a groundout to start the top of the fourth. After junior second baseman Alysa Romero walked and stole second, senior catcher Meagan Lee gave 22nd-ranked Rowan a 2-1 lead when she lined a two-out single to center for the Prof's first hit of the game.
Moorehead came through again for the Cougars in the sixth. After Binkiewicz singled to center and went to second on a sac bunt from senior pitcher Courtney Yard, Moorehead squeaked a base hit up the middle to tie the game at 2-2.
Kean threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Singles from freshman third baseman Amanda Berezny and freshman second baseman Emily Sabo and an intentional walk to Binkiewicz loaded the bases with two outs. However, sophomore pitcher Beth Ann Hyland got Yard to ground out to short to end the inning.
A two-out walk to sophomore shortstop Shilah Snead, a double to right-center from Arcella and a single up the middle from sophomore designated player Ashley DeYoung gave Rowan a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth.
The Cougars brought the winning run to the plate with two outs, but Hyland was able to get senior catcher Jill Martin to foul out to the right fielder and end the game.
Lee was 2-for-3 while driving in a run, and Arcella recorded a double, an RBI and two runs scored for Rowan. Hyland (14-5) earned the win, giving up six hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. Maronski gave up one run on three hits, walking and striking out one in 1.0 inning.
Moorehead went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Berezny collected two hits for Kean. Yard (20-7) took the loss, giving up four runs, two earned, on six hits while walking three and striking out eight in 8.0 innings.
