UNION, N.J. – Second-seeded and 24th-ranked William Paterson (28-10, 15-3 NJAC) fell to the third-seeded Kean Cougars (31-7, 12-6 NJAC), 2-0, in the second round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Tournament May 6.
 
WP will face fifth-seeded Stockton (22-19-1, 9-8-1 NJAC) in an elimination game later in the evening, with the first pitch set for 5:00 p.m. On May 2, the Pioneers defeated the Ospreys by a 6-3 score during the NJAC Tournament first round in Wayne.
 
The Cougars opened the scoring during the home half of the first when senior second baseman Emily Sabo reached on a full-count hit by pitch and stole second. Senior center fielder Dana Knapp hit a grounder up the middle that junior second baseman Kaitlyn Poretti (Florence, N.J./Florence Memorial) stopped with a diving stab, but her throw to first wasn't in time to beat the batter and Sabo was able to come around and touch the plate on the play, putting Kean ahead by a 1-0 Count.
 
Kean doubled its lead in the fourth, putting together a base hit, walk and Amanda Berezny RBI-single to center field.
 
William Paterson had runners on second and third with one out in the second, and a runner on third with two outs in the seventh, but couldn't come up with a run-scoring play.
 
Taking the loss for the Pioneers and falling to 15-4 on the season was senior Gabrielle Castelli (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove). The right hander allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk while fanning two across 4.0 innings of work. Senior righty Allison Podmajersky (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) spun 2.0 scoreless frames, fanning four while surrendering just one hit.
 
Earning the win for the Cougars was senior right hander Shannon McMahon (20-2), working around five hits and one hit batter to pitch a 7.0 inning complete-game shutout, fanning one in the win.
 
Senior first baseman Salina Pellios (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) led the Pioneers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double. Junior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial), freshman designated player Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) and senior right fielder Nicole Fryer (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg South) recorded one single apiece.
 
Both Knapp and Berezny went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace Kean.
 
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