Upper Montclair, NJ (5/11/02) - The double-elimination 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Softball Championships commenced today at Quarry Field on the campus of Montclair State University, and saw the host Red Hawks win twice to advance to the championship round. MSU will face the winner of tomorrow's Drew-Ramapo elimination game, with both of those schools winning once each today. Alvernia College lost a pair of one-run games in 11 innings each to Montclair and Drew in suffering elimination.

Fourth-seeded Alvernia (PA) College dropped a 7-6 decision in 11 innings to top-seeded Montclair State in Game One. The Crusaders took a 3-0 lead in the first inning before MSU scored twice in the fourth to make it 3-2. Alvernia junior left fielder STACEY PUZAUSKAS (Gilbertsville, PA) made it 6-2 with her three-run homer in the fifth. The Red Hawks responded with four consecutive runs, including two scores in the bottom of the seventh with two outs to tie the game at 6-6. MSU finally plated the winning run in the bottom of the 11th, using a walk, an error and a fielder's choice before sophomore first base DANA SPRAGUE North Arlington, NJ) singled to right field with two outs to score freshman third base KARI McDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ). Sophomore pitcher CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ) picked up the win in relief, scattering four hits, four walks, three runs and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings to improve to 16-5 on the year and set a new personal high for most wins in one season.

Second-seeded Ramapo College faced off with third seed Drew University in Game Two and escaped with a 3-2 triumph. Ramapo sophomore relief pitcher VALERIE MALFI (Mays Landing, NJ) picked up the win and also scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Roadrunners hit the 20-win mark and advanced to play Montclair State. Malfi improved to 6-9 on the year, while RC freshman catcher COLLEEN MILLER (Jefferson Township, NJ) went 2-for-3, and freshman infielder ALICIA CRUZ drove in the winning run.

Drew dropped into the elimination bracket to face Alvernia, before eliminating the Crusaders with a 6-5 victory in 11 innings as the Rangers overcame a 5-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman left fielder KRISTEN MIGNOLI (Wayne, NJ) and junior left fielder TARA DUFFY (North Plainfield, NJ) both led off with singles to center field, and both went on to score to force extra innings. Duffy then doubled to right in the bottom of the 11th inning before coming home with the winning run for the Rangers on a single up the middle by freshman catcher DEBBIE WAZ (Higganum, CT).

MSU spotted Ramapo a 2-0 lead in Game Four before scoring eight unanswered runs, including four in the bottom of the fourth frame, en route to a 10-2 victory that lasted just under five full innings. CRYSTAL SWEENEY again picked up the victory for the Red Hawks, surrendering six hits and one unearned run with two strikeouts while batting 3-for-3 with two RBIs. MSU freshman outfielder MEGAN SWEENEY (Edison, NJ) was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while KARI MCDONNELL went 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs.