Ewing, NJ... Kean University's Courtney Yard (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) pitched a two-hit shutout as the Cougars came away with a 4-0 win over The College of New Jersey on Tuesday in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
Yard allowed only a pair of singles and did not allow a walk.
 
The second-seeded Lions (23-14) will face Ramapo College (26-12) in an elimination game on Friday, May 4 at 11 a.m., while the fifth-seeded Cougars take on Rowan University at 3 p.m. The remainder of the tournament will be held at top-seeded Montclair State University. The other game on Friday features the host Red Hawks playing William Paterson University.
 
The Cougars (24-17) got on the board first scoring a run in the top of the fourth. Yard helped her own cause with a long single to right center that scored Katie Schuh (Mt. Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley).
 
The visitors doubled that margin in the fifth with another run thanks to a single up the middle by Sandra Binkiewicz (Belleville, NJ/Belleville). That hit plated Megan Cegielski (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) making it 2-0.
 
The Cougars protected that lead in the bottom of the inning with two key defensive plays. Cegieski made a running catch in the gap to take an extra-base hit away from TCNJ's Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) and then first baseman Kelly Moorhead (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) snared a sharp line drive off of the bat of Katelyn Congilose (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) to end the inning.
 
TCNJ turned in a fine defensive play of its own in the sixth as Crystal Lee (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) caught a ball right at the fence in foul territory in left field.
 
Kean added two more runs in the top of the seventh using the long ball with Maria Scopellito (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) and Schuh each homered in the inning.
 
TCNJ's Lauren Fitzsimmons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) took the loss for the as she struck out seven in throwing her 19^th complete game of the season.
 
Juniors Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) each had hits for the Lions.