Game 1 - Box Score
Game 2 - Box Score
LITTLE FALLS, NJ – The Montclair State University softball team swept Rowan University, 2-1 and 6-5 in the last conference doubleheader of the regular season on Saturday.
Montclair State is the number one seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament and will host the final rounds of the tournament, Friday-Sunday, May 2-4. The first round games will be held on Tuesday, April 29 at the top three seeds in the conference.
The Red Hawks are 37-3 overall and they are undefeated in the conference with an 18-0 mark. The Profs have a 31-7 record and they are 13-5 in the NJAC.
In the first game, Carolyn McCrea (sr. Wharton, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) was the winning pitcher. McCrea pitched a complete game for her 19th victory on the season. She scattered six hits and struck out five batters. Right hander Jackie Sasko (jr. Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) took the loss. Sasko (19-3) gave up five hits and two earned runs.
Shortstop Jennifer Jimenez (jr. Linden, NJ/Linde) led Montclair State with two hits (three at bats), a double and one run scored. Left fielder Leslie Gonzalez (fr. North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) went two for three with one RBI. Second baseman Megan Durkin (so. West Orange, NJ/West Orange) contributed with one hit (three at bats) and one RBI. For Rowan, first baseman Jenna DiDonato (so. Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) went two for two with a double and one run scored.
MSU had a 1-0 lead after the second inning. Gonzalez singled to right field, scoring pinch runner Ashley Lustenberger (jr. River Edge, NJ/River Dell Reg.). Lustenberger stole second and third base after replacing catcher Kacie Neurouter (fr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) who was hit by a pitch.
Rowan tied the score in the top of the third. DiDonato led off with a single and advanced to second when left fielder Casey Roselle (fr. Sparata, NJ/Sparta) walked. Right fielder Heidi Smith (so. Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley Reg.) drove in DiDonato with a single. The Red Hawks took the lead with one run in the bottom half. With one out, Jimenez doubled to center field. Durkin followed with a single that brought home Jimenez.
Pitcher Kelly Karp (jr. Edison, NJ/Edison) got the win on the mound in the second contest. Karp (15-0) went 6.1 innings and Elia Persico (so. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) finished the game for the save. Third baseman Jackie Ferranti (sr. Bergenfield, NJ/Bergenfield) went three for four with one triple, one RBI and one run scored. Gonzalez had two hits (three at bats), a double, two RBIs and one run scored. Jimenez and Karp each added two hits.
Sasko went two for four with a double, four RBIs and one run scored. Third baseman Kristin Wallace (sr. Glassboro, NJ/Washington Twp.) and Roselle each added two hits and scored one run.
MSU got on the scoreboard first with one run in the second inning. The Red Hawks were ahead 6-0 after scoring five runs in the fourth. Gonzalez doubled in two runs and crossed the plate on Ferranti’s triple to right field. Ferranti came home on a wild pitch. The Profs had their first run in the bottom of the fourth when Sasko scored on an error.
Rowan followed with one run in the fifth. Sasko plated DiDonato with a single. The Profs rallied for three runs in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Sasko doubled to left field to score Roselle, right fielder Amanda Brown (sr. Audubon, NJ/Audubon) and Wallace. After the double, Persico came into the game for the final two outs.
Rowan, seeded third, will host the fourth seed The College of New Jersey in the first round of the NJAC Championship on Tuesday, April 29 at 4 p.m.
