UNION, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Nationally No. 15 ranked Kean University 19-3, 5-1 NJAC) limited the New Jersey City University softball team (4-16, 0-6 NJAC) to five hits in two games and swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on April 10 at Cougar Field. Kean won game one, 11-0 before taking the nightcap, 10-1. Both games were five-inning affairs due to the eight-run rule.
 
GAME 1: Kean 11, New Jersey City University 0 (5 innings)
Junior right-handed pitcher Jackie Riley (South Amboy, N.J.) struck out five, walked none and allowed just two hits in a 5.0 inning shutout effort to improve to 7-1 overall.
 
Kean scored seven runs in the second inning and four more in the third to cement the win. The Cougars were led by junior left fielder Olivia Zengel (Stockton, N.J.) with three RBIs, batting 2-for-3 with two runs and junior shortstop Cayleen Rizo (Hillsborough, N.J.) added three RBIs, including her 15th double of the season.
 
Freshman right fielder Katie Debbie (Mountainside, N.J.) batted 2-for-3. Freshman second baseman Julie Raba (Spotswood, N.J.) and junior first baseman Kaitlin Stahlbrand (Robbinsville, N.J.) each walked and scored twice and freshman Maria Bonfanti (Easton, Pa.) scored twice.
 
Freshman shortstop Dulce Almonte (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder via County Prep) and senior second baseman Melissa Mendoza (Union City, NJ/Union City) had NJCU's two hits in the loss. Junior righty Christina Mezey (Jersey City, NJ/Saint Dominic Academy) suffered the loss after 107 pitches.
 
GAME 2: Kean 10, New Jersey City University 1 (5 innings)
Kean scored in all four innings it batted, including four runs in the second and three in the third to seize the 10-1 victory.
 
Kean had eight hits but senior catcher Kacie Worswick (Mountainside, N.J.) did much of the damage, batting 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. She had a two-run inside-the-park homer in the second inning. Raba was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs. They were the lone players with multiple hits for the Cougars. Debbie scored twice.
 
Junior third baseman Hannah Gavin (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown), sophomore catcher Arianna Scrimo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and freshman first baseman Gianna Benacquista (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) had NJCU's three hits. Gavin ripped her third homer of the season in the top of the first inning before scoring NJCU's lone run for a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by senior center fielder Julie Squeo (Carlstadt, NJ/Becton Regional).
 
Stahlbrand was the winner for Kean in game two, improving to 7-2 overall. She allowed a run and three hits over 5.0 innings, tossing 64 pitches. She struck out four without a walk. Mezey threw 92 pitches in the loss.
 
NOTABLES:

• Kean ranked No. 15 in the latest NFCA Division III Top 25 poll.
• 60th and 61st meetings: Kean leads all-time series, 55-6.

 
UP NEXT:

• On Wednesday, April 11, NJCU hosts Stockton University in a rescheduled doubleheader at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex at 3:30 pm. The twinbill is a makeup from an April 7 postponement. It will be the 68th and 69th meetings in a series Stockton leads, 59-8, having won the last 18 games.

 
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