Game 7 - Box Score
Game 8 - Box Score
Game 9 - Box Score
GLASSBORO, NJ – Kean University advanced to the final of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Championship Tournament after a 7-5 win over The College of New Jersey. The third round was held at Rowan University on Saturday.
The College of New Jersey (27-13) came through the loser’s bracket and will play Kean (15-24) in the championship on Sunday at 11 a.m. TCNJ defeated William Paterson University, 5-1 in the third game. In between, William Paterson (28-10) knocked Montclair State University (27-10) out of the tournament with a 2-1 victory.
Game 7 - #6 Kean University 7, #5 The College of New Jersey 5
Kean University defeated The College of New Jersey, 7-5 to advance to the conference championship game on Sunday. The Cougars (15-24) are the defending NJAC champions.
Right-hander Courtney Smyth (sr. Abington, PA/Abington) threw a complete game for the victory. Smyth (8-14) scattered seven hits and gave up four earned runs. She struck out four batters. Righty Alex Carisone (fr. Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) took the loss in relief (9-6).
Kean second baseman Katie Schuh (so. Mt. Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley) was two for three with two doubles, two RBIs and one run scored. Catcher Nicole Scarillo (sr. South Amboy, NJ/South Amboy) had one hit in three at bats, two RBIs and one run scored. Left fielder Sandra Binkiewicz (fr. Belleville, NJ/Belleville) contributed with two hits (four at bats), one double, one RBI and two runs scored. Right fielder Megan Cegielski (fr. Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) chipped in with one hit (three at bats) and two runs scored. Shortstop Alicia Banz (jr. Carteret, NJ/Carteret) registered one hit and scored one run. First baseman Katie Yard (sr. Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) added one hit and one RBI.
For TCNJ, designated player Caitlyn Seamster (sr. Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) totaled two hits in three at bats, a home run and three RBIs. Right fielder Colleen Cawley (sr. Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) was one for four with one RBI. Catcher Michelle Kent (jr. Sparta, NJ/Pope John) contributed with one hit (three at bats) and one run scored. Shortstop Ashley Sogluizzo (so. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.), third baseman Kelly Hommen (so. Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) and pinch runner Nicole Brodbeck (fr. Atco, NJ/Hammonton) all scored one run.
The Lions went up 2-0 in the first inning. Cawley had a RBI single that scored Sogluizzo and Hommen crossed the plate on an error. The Cougars took the lead, 5-2 in the bottom of the third. Schuh drove in Banz and Cegielski with a double to center field. Scarillo’s single up the middle brought home Schuh and Binkiewicz. Yard plated Scarillo with a hit to right field.
Kean added two runs in the fourth inning. Binkiewicz had a RBI double and scored on a two-base error. In the sixth, Seamster recorded a three-run blast over the left center field fence. It was her first home run on the year.
Game 8: #3 William Paterson University 2, #2 Montclair State 1 (Montclair is eliminated.)
William Paterson, the third seed, stayed alive in the conference tournament with a 2-1 victory over the second seed Montclair State University. The Pioneers have a 28-9 record while the Red Hawks are 27-10 overall.
Right-hander Michele Graham (jr. Hawthorne, NJ/Hawthorne) pitched a complete game for the win. She (14-5) gave up seven hits and one earned run. Righty Alex Hill (fr. Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany Hills) allowed two earned runs on five hits in the loss. Hill (17-5) totaled seven strikeouts.
William Paterson second baseman Lindsey Nadolny (sr. Belford, NJ/Middletown N.) was two for two at the plate and had one run scored. Right fielder Heather Mendez (sr. Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) and designated player Jessica Warner (fr. Runnemede, NJ/Triton Reg.) each contributed with one hit (three at bats) and one RBI. Mendez also scored one run.
Montclair State catcher Heather Bergman (so. Berkeley Heights, NJ/Governor Livingston) went two for three with a double and one RBI. Designated player Kelli O’Brien (so. Edison, NJ/Edison) produced two hits in three trips to the plate. Left fielder Shannon Mozek (jr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley), right fielder Stephanie Szeliga (jr. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) and Hill each had one hit. Third baseman Dana Amato (fr. Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley) scored one run.
The Red Hawks led 1-0 after the first inning. Bergman recorded a RBI double, scoring Amato who had reached base on a fielder’s choice. The Pioneers took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Nadolny led off with a single down the right field line. She went to second on a sac bunt. Mendez plated Nadolny with a hit to center field. Warner followed with a double and Mendez scored the winning run.
Game 9: #5 The College of New Jersey 5, #3 William Paterson University 1
The College of New Jersey defeated William Paterson University, 5-1 in the third round of the conference tournament. The Lions advance from the loser’s bracket and meet Kean University in the final on Sunday at 11 a.m. TCNJ will have to beat Kean twice to capture the NJAC title.
Right-hander Lauren Fitzsimmons (jr. Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) threw a complete game for the win. She (11-3) scattered eight hits and gave up one earned run. Fitzsimmons struck out four hitters. Righty Kelsey Hand (so. Mountainville, NY/Cornwall Central) was the losing pitcher. She (9-3) allowed three earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings.
The Lions’ designated player Caitlyn Seamster (sr. Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) was three for three with a double, one RBI and one run scored. Right fielder Colleen Cawley (sr. Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) tallied two hits (three at bats), a double and two RBIs.
Center fielder Liz Huttner (so. Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro S.) produced two hits in four at bats and scored two runs. Catcher Michelle Kent (jr. Sparta, NJ/Pope John) had one RBI while shortstop Ashley Sogluizzo (so. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.) scored one run.
The Pioneers had two hits (three at bats) and one RBI from designated player Jessica Warner (fr. Runnemede, NJ/Triton Reg.). First baseman Jenna Vitale (sr. Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) went two for four. Shortstop Katelyn Miele (fr. Flanders, NJ/Pope John XXIII) added two hits in three at bats.
TCNJ went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Seamster drove in Sogluizzo with a single to right field. Cawley followed with a RBI single, scoring Huttner. The Lions had a 4-0 lead after two runs in the third. Cawley posted a RBI double and Huttner crossed the plate. Seamster came home on Kent’s ground out.
William Paterson scored its run in the top of the sixth with a RBI single by Warner. In the bottom half, Hommen plated pinch hitter Kristen Lake (fr. Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) with a double to left field.
Tickets for the NJAC Softball Championship Tournament are: $5 for adults and $2 for students with ID, senior citizens and children. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
The NJAC Softball Championship Tournament schedule is below. Results and the updated schedule for the double elimination tournament are available at rowanathletics.com and njacsports.com.
Tue,, May 3 (at higher seeds)
Game 1: #6 Kean University 5, #1 Rowan University 4
Game 2: #5 The College of NJ 1, #2 Montclair State University 0 (9 innings)
Game 3: #3 William Paterson University 1, #4 Ramapo College 0
Fri., May 6 (Rowan Softball Field)
Game 4: #2 Montclair State University 6, #1 Rowan University 1 (Rowan is eliminated.)
Game 5: #6 Kean University 6, #4 Ramapo College 3 (Ramapo is eliminated.)
Game 6: #5 The College of NJ 1, #3 William Paterson University 0
Sat., May 7 (Rowan Softball Field)
Game 7: #6 Kean University 7, #5 The College of NJ 5
Game 8: #3 William Paterson University 2, #2 Montclair State University 1 (MSU is eliminated.)
Game 9: #5 The College of NJ 5, #3 William Paterson University 1 (Wm. Paterson is eliminated.)
Sun., May 8 (Rowan Softball Field)
Game 10: #6 Kean University (15-24) vs. #5 The College of NJ (27-13), 11 a.m.
Game 11: same teams as game 10 (if necessary), TBA
