Little Falls, NJ (04/16/03) - The Montclair State University softball team, ranked seventh nationally in NCAA Division III, stretched its winning streak to four games with a non-conference sweep today of visiting Bloomfield College, 3-2 and 8-0, at Quarry Field. Sophomore infielder KARI McDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) homered in the nightcap to set a new MSU record with 17 career home runs, while senior catcher TONYA BARNES(Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee) drove in all three Red Hawk runs in the opener. Montclair improves to 22-4 overall, while Bloomfield falls to 5-24.

MSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning of Game One as Barnes doubled in freshman ATHANASIA TOTARO (Roseland, NJ/West Essex), a lead which lasted until Bloomfield senior infidler BARBARA IHRIG (Toms River, NJ) launched a two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning for a 2-1 Lady Deacons' lead. Barnes then drove in two runs with a single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the sixth frame to lift MSU to its seventh one-run victory of the season. Red Hawk junior pitcher CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) improved to 13-2 this spring in allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out five batters over seven innings.

McDonnell, who tied the MSU career home run record in yesterday's two-step sweep of Rutgers-Newark, made the mark her own with a two-run blast to center with one out in the bottom of the first inning of today's second contest. MSU took a 3-0 lead after one inning and a 5-0 advantage after three before adding one run in the fourth and two in the fifth in ultimately improving to 10-1 at home this season. McDonnell finished 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs while junior centerfielder STEPHANIE ROMANKO (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. MSU freshman pitcher KERRY LEE (Florence, NJ/Northern Burlington) improved to 5-1 this season in pitching her first career shutout, walking three Bloomfield batters and fanning two while surrendering just three hits over five innings.

Montclair State returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Saturday, April 19, against visiting Rutgers-Camden at 1:00 p.m. at Quarry Field. The Red Hawks are 5-3 in the conference so far this spring, and 17-1 in non-conference contests.