Glassboro, NJ... Kean University scored five times in the top of the eighth innings to extend its season as The College of New Jersey softball team saw its bid to claim the New Jersey Athletic Conference title come to an end on Saturday with a 7-2 defeat.

The weekend portion of the tournament is being hosted by top-seeded Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
 
With the win, sixth-seeded Kean (26-16-1) advanced into the fourth round of the tournament as they seek their third conference title in the last four years. The Lions finish the tournament with a 26-13 record and will wait a couple more days to see if they earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season. The field for the 2013 tournament will be announced on Monday, May 6 at 10 a.m. at www.ncaa.com. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the tournament.
 
The big inning by the Cougars offset a nice rally by the Lions to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing by a run going into their final at bat, TCNJ got a lead-off walk to senior Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) followed by a single from senior Michelle Casale (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex). Junior Nicole Brodbeck (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) then dropped a successful sacrifice bunt putting both runners in scoring position. Huttner then scored on a passed ball, while Casale advanced to third. After an intentional walk to clean-up hitter Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood), the Cougars were able to use a big defensive play to end the inning when Kean right fielder Megan Cegielksi (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) caught a fly ball a gunned down the potential winning run at the plate to sending the game into extra innings.
 
Cegielski then ignited the big inning in the eighth with a two-run double putting Kean in front 4-2 and the Cougars added on three more runs extending the lead to 7-2.
 
Kean pitcher Courtney Yard (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) then retired the Lions in order in the last of the eighth to end the game.
 
TCNJ had started the scoring back in the bottom of the third as the Lions manufactured a run. Huttner led off with a single and move to second on a sacrifice bunt from Casale. A ground by Brodbeck pushed Huttner to third and she then scored on a base down the line in left by junior Lindsey Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Cougars scored single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a 2-1 lead into the seventh.
 
Junior Alex Carisone (Branchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) suffered the loss in relief for TCNJ throwing 2.2 innings, while freshman Ashtin Helmer (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) worked into the sixth inning allowing a pair of runs.
 
Huttner went 2-for-3 with a two runs scored, while Williams had a hit and a RBI.