UNION, N.J. – William Paterson (19-5, 5-3 NJAC) earned an opening 2-0 victory at Kean (13-11, 6-2 NJAC) before falling in the second game, 14-6 in six innings, in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) softball action April 12.
 
Game One
Junior Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) tossed a complete-game three-hitter in a 2-0 win.
 
WP crossed the plate once during the top of the second inning when junior catcher Kim Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) led off with a single to right field, junior right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) sacrificed her to second and senior left fielder Kelsey Wimmershoff (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) later drilled a run-scoring base hit up the middle.
 
The Pioneers added another run in the fifth as sophomore center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) opened the frame with a double to center, was sacrificed to third by freshman third baseman Karley Jo Greulich (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) and crossed the plate when sophomore second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) lifted a sac fly to right.
 
Lutas was 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, and Kim Fryer went 2-for-3 and scored a run. Podmajersky (13-2) struck out four and walked two.
 
Junior Kiele Eichlin (5-8) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out four for KU.
 
Game Two
The Cougars salvaged a split with a 14-6 victory during the night cap.
 
The Pioneers opened up a 3-0 lead during its first at-bat. Junior shortstop Rachel Wasilak (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) led off with a single to left and Lutas put down a bunt for a base hit before an error on a sacrifice attempt plated Wasilak. Poretti singled in Lutas and Kim Fryer hit an RBI-single to center field.
 
Kean answered with six runs during the home half of the first. Junior second baseman Emily Sabo had a one-out double and freshman shortstop Samantha Krakower walked before a Dana Knapp run-scoring single to center. Junior third baseman Amanda Berezny was issued a base on balls, freshman designated player Caroline Ratti singled in two runs, and after a strikeout and wild pitch, senior first baseman Tiffany Varriello doubled down the left-field line for two more runs. Senior right fielder Tonianne DeMatteo finished the scoring with an RBI-single down the right-field line.
 
The Cougars added two more in the second thanks to base hits by Sabo, Knapp and Ratti.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Poretti and Kim Fryer made it an 8-4 margin during the top of the third inning.
 
Kean drove across four third-inning scores. Base hits by Varriello and DeMatteo led to an Olivia Zengel sac bunt, Sabo RBI-single and Krakower walk. Knapp plated two runs with her base hit to right center, Berezny walked to load the bases, and Ratti was hit by a pitch to force across Krakower.
 
A Wasilak one-out base on balls, groundout, error, Poretti walk and Kim Fryer two-run double to left made it a 12-6 game in the fourth.
 
Variello's leadoff walk, two groundouts and a Sabo base hit to center field added one run for the Cougars during the home half of the fourth.
 
Sophomore catcher Kacie Worswick ended the game when she opened the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run to left.
 
Kim Fryer finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Poretti went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Wasilak was 2-for-3 and added a double and two runs scored.
 
Junior Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) started and pitched a total of 0.1 inning, allowing six runs on four hits and four walks (6-3). Podmajersky was charged with eight hits, six runs and two strikeouts over 2.0 innings, and junior Allison Speranza (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) gave up two runs on three hits and one walk with one strikeout during 2.2 innings of work.
 
Knapp went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Sabo was 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Junior Shannon McMahon (8-3) surrendered six runs (three earned) on 10 hits and four walks, collecting five strikeouts.
 
William Paterson will host a doubleheader against St. Joseph's-Long Island Thursday, April 14, at 3:00 p.m.
 
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