Wesleyan Powers Past Kean 15-3 in NCAA Softball Regional
Courtesy Rhode Island College Sports Information
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior first baseman Talia Bernstein (Miami, FL) knocked in four runs to power fourth-seeded Wesleyan University past third-seeded Kean University, 15-3, in game three at the Providence Regional of the 2010 NCAA Softball Regional hosted by Rhode Island College. The Cardinals (24-16-1) advance to face second-seeded Moravian College tomorrow at noon. The Cougars (29-16) have a date with top-seeded The College of New Jersey tomorrow at 10 a.m.
The Cardinals jumped all over Kean senior starter Cassie Shotwell (Dunellen, NJ) in the first, chasing the righty from the game for the first time all season. Wesleyan began by loading the bases on a single, error and a walk. Wesleyan put five runs across in the frame, highlighted by an RBI single by senior catcher Taylor Zavadsky (Trumbull, CT) and a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Alexis Kral (Northvale, NJ). Three additional runs came on a throwing error, coupled with a walk and a hit batsman with the sacks full. All the runs were charged to Shotwell, who was forced to give way to junior pitcher Courtney Smyth (Abington, PA). It was the first time all season Kean made a pitching change in a contest.
The Cardinals tagged Smyth for three runs in the second to go up, 8-0, as sophomore shortstop Dana Levy (Westport, CT) and sophomore second baseman Sam Epstein (Hewlett, NY) smacked back-to-back RBI doubles and Zavadsky knocked in another with a single.
Kean broke through against Wesleyan senior pitcher Meaghan Dendy (Swansea, MA) in the bottom of the second. Dendy surrendered an RBI double to freshman second baseman Katie Zolli (Roselle Park, NJ) and left runners on the corners before switching positions with Levy. Senior designated player Allison Thibault (Garfield, NJ) brought home a run with an RBI ground out on a bunt, while senior right fielder Allison Lizzi (Cherry Hill, NJ) singled in another to cut the Cougars’ deficit to five runs, 8-3.
The Cardinals scored again in the third as Dendy doubled in a run and junior first baseman Talia Bernstein (Miami, FL) smacked a three-run homer, her third of the year, to make the score 12-3. Levy helped her own cause with an RBI ground out in the fifth, while two more Wesleyan runs scored on an error for the 15-3 final.
Levy, named first-team all-NESCSAC this week, earned the win (7-4), hurling four innings of shutout relief while yielding just three hits. Levy, Epstein and Zavadsky each knocked in a pair. Dendy went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and three runs scored. She was selected for the all-NESCAC first team for a fourth straight season.
Shotwell (16-8) took the loss for Kean.
