The Lions softball team lost both halves of the doubleheader Saturday against a tough Kean University team. The College now stands with a 6-4 record in conference play and 17-11 overall. 
In the first game, the Cougars put the only runs of the game on the board in the bottom of the fifth to seal the victory. Senior pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons pitched the entire game for the College, and struck out six along the way.
The Lions managed only three hits in the contest.
In the second game of the double dip, the College put forth a better offensive effort by plating four runs, but still fell short of Kean, who scored six.
The Cougars scored three times in the first two innings to put the Lions behind early. The Lions scored some runs in later innings — two on an error in fifth, and sophomore designated hitter Nicole Broadbeck doubled in junior second baseman Ashley Sogluizzo in the sixth.
In the seventh inning the College kept fighting. Junior right fielder Michelle Casale scored senior left fielder Crystal Lee with a double. Even with their late scoring, the Lions couldn’t catch up to Kean and was stuck with the loss.
“I feel like we fought back but despite our efforts everything seemed to go against us,” Sogluizzo said. “At the end of the year we will be able to come back and win when it counts.”
Fitzsimmons came in to pitch some relief in the second game and although she didn’t get the win she struck out four, which brought her career strikeout total to 419, within four of the College record set by Mandy Schenk from 1999 to 2002.
The Lions will continue conference play at home on Tuesday against Montclair State University at 3 p.m.
