Box Score
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. – Kean's (28-14) single run in the top of the ninth inning proved to be the difference as the William Paterson softball team (22-20) saw its season come to an end with an 8-7 defeat in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament elimination game May 2 at Montclair State's Softball Stadium.
Kean struck first with a run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers stormed back with five in the second. After a lead-off fly out, sophomore
Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) and freshman
Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) singled, followed by a wild pitch and a
Kate Braun (Philadelphia, Pa./Gloucester Catholic) walk to load the bases. Pinch hitter
Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, N.J./Eastern) also drew a pass to force home Zippler, followed by a two-run
Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) double to center, a RBI-single from
Kelly Lauter (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) and a run-scoring error by the Cougar third baseman, giving WP a 5-1 edge.
William Paterson tacked on another run in the third when Kean's catcher threw off-line attempting to catch Zippler stealing second, allowing pinch runner
Kat Wehmann (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) to trot home from third and make the score 6-1.
Four hits resulted in two Kean runs in the fourth, and a solo home run and RBI-single in the fifth trimmed the Pioneer lead to 6-5. The Cougars took the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, stringing together two singles, a walk and a fielder's choice.
Trailing 7-6 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers started the inning with a pop-up and singles off the bats of
Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) and
Rayna Caruso (Madison, N.J./Madison).
Ana Abourashed's (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) fly ball to right put runners at the corners with two outs, and a hard-hit ball by Zippler was misplayed by Kean's third baseman, allowing Vitale to score and force extra innings.
Kean threatened with two on and one out in the eighth before ending its at-bat with a pair of fly outs, and WP did not threaten during the home half of the inning. The Cougars began the ninth with a double to left, sacrificed the runner to third and scored following a grounder to third for an 8-7 game. The Pioneers' first two hitters recorded outs in the ninth, but Abourashed's single gave William Paterson hope. Zippler stepped to the plate and hit a ball hard to the warning track, but Kean's left fielder was able to settle under it and record the game's final out.
Caruso was 3-for-5 for the Pioneers, while Reilly was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI. Vitale suffered the loss (6-7), throwing a total of 6.1 innings after starting the contest and then recording the final six outs.
