Glassboro, NJ:  The #2 Ramapo College softball team advances to a winner take all NJAC Championship game with a 5-4 win over #5 Kean University. The Cougars fall to 25-11-1 overall and will wait to see if they earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Roadrunners scored in the top of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Following the first out of the inning, Nicole Hernandez beat out a bunt single before Lima put down a bunt. Lima was safe on the play following an error that allowed Hernandez to come around and score for the first run of the game. Kim LaPenta drove home Lima took the first pitch she saw and drove it back up the middle to plate Lima with the second run of the game.
 
In the fifth inning, Danielle Saporito laced a double to left center before Mikayla Melendez ripped a triple 3-0. Melanie Walling then drove home Melendez with a double to take a 4-0 lead.
 
In the Kean half of the fifth, Cougar starting pitcher Courtney Yard connected on her third home run of the season, a two-run shot, over the left field fence to come within two 2-4. The Roadrunners would score the eventual game winning run in the sixth when Saporito drove home Brennan with an RBI single to right center for a 5-2 lead.
 
The Cougars fought back with two more runs in the sixth when one run came across on a wild pitch and their second run came home when Emily Sabo drove home Yard with a hard hit single up the middle to come within one 4-5.
 
The Roadrunners took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh as the Cougars had their last chance at the plate. Lima made a diving catch in right center for the first out of the inning before Ramapo starting pitcher Katrina Buczkowski (14-6) recorded a strikeout looking for the second out. Cayleen Rizo nearly tied the game with a shot to left but Brennan made the catch at the fence to end the game sending the Roadrunners to the NJAC Championship.
 
Buczkowski struck out six and walked two while she scattered seven hits. She worked 6.2 innings. Paige Merle came in for relief in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. She let up one hit and one run while she got the final out of the inning and held the lead for Ramapo before Buczkowski reentered the game in the top of the seventh.
 
Each team collected eight hits in the game while Saporito was the lone Roadrunner with a multi-hit game. She finished 2-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
 
The Roadrunners advance to the NJAC Championship game against #1 Rowan University today at 2:00pm.