New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BOX SCORE: Game 1 | Game 2

UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Two-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Kean University received a masterful pitching performance in game one before scoring four runs in the fifth inning of game two to snap a 2-2 tie as the Cougars swept an NJAC doubleheader from New Jersey City University, 10-0 in five innings and 8-4, on Monday afternoon at Cougar Field.
 
In a pair of games twice postponed (March 31 and April 1), Kean improved to 15-9 and 5-1 in the conference and moved into second place in the league with 10 points. NJCU (11-15, 2-4 NJAC) had its three-game winning streak snapped. Kean leads the all-time series, 43-6.
 
In defeat, senior shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) was a combined 4-for-4 with three stolen bases (school record 93^rd) and a run scored, tallying multiple hits in both ends of the twin bill. Ginter tied current assistant coach Susie Matsutani (2005-08) for fifth place in school history with 149 career hits.
 
Five-time NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week, freshman right-hander Courtney Yard (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) was the winner in both games for Kean. She tossed a two-hit shutout in game one before earning the victory in game two in a 4.1 inning relief stint, improving to 12-4.
 
Sophomore first baseman Kelly Moorehead (Hicksville, NY) was a combined 4-for-7 with five RBIs in the two games, including a grand slam in game one and junior third baseman Courtney Melchionna (Linden, NJ) was 4-for-6 with three runs, two RBIs and two doubles in the two games. Kean jumped out to 6-0 lead after one inning and 10-0 after three before cruising past NJCU in the opening game, 10-0, in five innings (eight-run rule). Kean outhit NJCU, 12-2.
 
On the hill, Yard was just too overpowering, tossing a complete-game two-hit shutout with six strikeouts and one walk while improving to 11-4 on the year with her second shutout.
 
Both hits were by NJCU senior First-Team All-NJAC shortstop MEGAN GINTER (Nutley, NJ/Nutley), who was 2-for-2 with two steals.
 
Most of the damage was done by Kelly Moorehead who was 2-for-3 with five RBIs—four coming on a first inning grand slam for her first homerun of the season and second of her career. Junior second baseman Katie Schuh (Mount Holly, NJ) was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
 
Sophomore left fielder Sandra Binkiewicz (Belleville, NJ) was 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a triple and Melchionna was 2-for-2 with two runs, a double and run scored.
 
Junior righty ASHLEY O'BEIRNE (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Immaculate Conception) took the loss (6-9), allowing 10 runs and 12 hits in 4.0 innings, with two strikeouts and two walks.
 
Kean scored all the runs it would need with a six-run first inning. Freshman Maria Scopellito (Staten Island, NY) singled and Schuh and Melchionna walked before Binkiewicz singled home the first run for a 1-0 lead. Moorehead then unleashed a one-out grand slam to center for a 5-0 advantage. Sophomore Colleen Cegielski (Stockton, NJ) doubled to left center for a 6-0 lead after a single by Leschinski.
 
In the second, Melchionna had a two-out single and scored on an RBI triple to left by Binkiewicz. Moorehead followed with her fifth RBI of the game, a single to right, extending the margin to 8-0.
 
In the third, Kean added three more runs. Senior shortstop Alicia Banz (Carteret, NJ), whose older sister Lauren Banz was an elite bowler for NJCU from 2003-07, had a one-out double. After a second out was registered, Schuh doubled to right center for an RBI before an RBI double to center by Melchionna—the third extra base hit of the inning—added the 10^th run. NJCU had a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth and advanced the runner to third but was unable to break-up the shutout. In the nightcap, NJCU scored twice in the third inning to claim a 2-1 margin before the Cougars evened the game in the third and snapped the deadlock with four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth, prevailing, 8-4. The hosts had a 14-8  differential in base hits.
 
Yard threw the final 4.1 innings in relief, allowing two seventh-inning runs and five hits, with five strikeouts and no walks. Freshman righty Ashlee Gieger (Oak Ridge, NJ) started, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in 2.2 innings.
 
Senior JESS MUCERINO (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) was the starting pitcher but twice rotated off the mound in favor of O'Beirne in the flex pitching role. Mucerino took the loss (5-6) allowing seven earned runs and 11 hits with three walks in 4.0 innings. O'Beirne allowed three hits with a strikeout and walk in 2.0 innings of relief.
 
The top performer for Kean in game two was freshman designated player Jess Fanty (Washington Township, NJ). After not playing in the opener, she was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Melchionna and Banz were each 2-for-4 with a run and RBI; Banz hit her second homerun of the season. Moorehead was 2-for-4 with a run and Binkiewicz and Schuh each scored twice.
 
Junior first baseman REBECCA SATZ (Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown), held without a hit for only the second time this season in game one, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, one run and her fifth homerun of the season in the nightcap. One of the most difficult players in the nation to strikeout, she extended her string to just two strikeouts in 95 plate appearances this season.
 
Ginter was 2-for-2 with one run and a steal and freshman third baseman NICOLE CALIXTO (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) was 2-for-3. Mucerino had her eighth double of the season and knocked in two RBIs in the loss.
 
Kean struck first with an RBI single by Melchionna with two outs in the first inning, to drive home an unearned run following an error.
 
In the third inning, Ginter had a sacrifice bunt and appeared to have the throw beat at first base but was called out on the close play. Mucerino deposited a double to right field to give NJCU a 2-1 lead before being thrown out at third, trying to stretch her extra-base hit into a triple, after hesitating for just a moment between second and third. Satz followed with her 14^th double of the season—one shy of the season-season record. Satz moved to third on a wild pitch before Bariso walked.
 
Yard entered in relief with runners on the corners and after a battle with senior center fielder STEPHANIE GOMEZ (South Plainfield, NJ/Belleville), finally got a strike out to end the threat and Kean tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when Banz hit a ball into the wind that carried over the left field fence with one out.
 
In the fourth, Kean loaded up the bases against O'Beirne in a relief stint, collecting three consecutive singles by Moorehead, Fanty, and Cegielski. But O'Beirne worked back from a 3-0 count to strike out Banz swinging to preserve the tie.
 
In the top of the fifth, Ginter beat out a slow roller to second base for an infield leadoff single and Ginter swiped second on a strikeout. Satz drove a hard grounder to third that was booted for an error and with runners on the corners and one out, but Yard struck out Bariso and coaxed a grounder back to the mound by Gomez to end the inning.
 
Finally, the Cougars cashed in in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on five hits as 10 batters came to the plate. With Mucerino back on the mound, Schuh drew a one-out walk and a double to left by Melchionna put two runners in scoring position. Binkiewicz ripped a line drive past the pitcher and up the middle to put Kean ahead, 3-2, before Melchionna scored on a wild pitch for a 4-2 edge. The Cougars made it 5-2 when Fanty singled to left field to score Binkiewicz. Another single loaded the bases and a walk by Cegielski made it a 6-2 game. O'Beirne came back into the game in relief and got a pop fly and a long fly out to the center field wall to leave the bases full.
 
The Cougars added two more runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single by Fanty to claim an 8-2 lead and the insurance runs proved to be important.
 
In the top of the seventh Ginter led off with a single and scored when Satz slammed a one-out opposite field homerun over the right field fence to cut the deficit in half with her 11^th career dinger. An infield popup and a ground ball ended the game as the Knights couldn't rally any further.
 
NJCU will travel to Wayne, NJ for an NJAC doubleheader against William Paterson University on Tuesday, April 10 beginning at 3 p.m.