Box score

Providence, RI... The College of New Jersey softball team fell to New Jersey Athletic Conference foe Kean University 1-0 at the 2010 NCAA Regional Championships held at Rhode Island College.

The loss sends the Lions (32-9) into the loser's bracket where they will play the loser of the Moravian College/ Wesleyan University match-up at 2:00 p.m.

TCNJ simply could not get the big hit they needed as they left 11 runners on base in the seven-inning contest. The Lions outhit the Cougars 7-4, but Kean (30-16) was the beneficiary of a clutch, run-scoring double in the fourth inning to stay alive in the NCAA tournament.

TCNJ had a runner in scoring position in every inning except the third as starting Cougar pitcher Cassie Shotwell worked in out and of trouble scattering seven hits, two walks, and three errors by the Kean defense to secure her 17th win of the season

Stranding runners was the Achilles heel for the Lions throughout the morning. After leaving a runner on third in the first, TCNJ generated its best scoring chance when sophomore Crystal Lee (Dover, NJ/Morris Knolls) singled to left field with a runner on second and two outs. But Cougar left fielder Katie Schuh fired to the plate to cut down junior Caitlyn Seamster (Edison, NJ/John P Stevens), who tried to score from second on the base hit.

TCNJ had runners on first and third in the fourth when sophomore Katelyn Congilose (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) and Seamster stroked back to back singles. But Shotwell got the ground ball she needed to escape the ining.

Kean took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Allison Lizzi singled and came home on a Courtney Melchionna double to left-center field. It was Melchionna's second double of the day and would turn out to be the game-winner.

The Lions failed to capitalize in the following frame as Lee and freshmen Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) each singled through the middle to lead off the fifth. After rookie Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) put down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, Shotwell was able to retire two of TCNJ's top hitters in seniors Ellen Seavers (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) and Dani Hagel (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Oakcreast) to hold a 1-0 advantage.

The Cougars gunned down another Lions at the plate in the sixth, and Shotwell overcame another Kean error in the seventh to complete the shutout win.

Lee and Sogluizzo each had two hits for TCNJ. Senior Ashley Minervini (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) pitched well in defeat surrendering just five hits and one run while striking out five. 

The Lions have played both Moravian and Wesleyan this season. They dropped a 10-9 decision in 10 innings to Wesleyan on March 13, 2010 and split a doubleheader with Moravian (a 1-0 and 1-0 loss) on March 20, 2010.