Little Falls, NJ (05/11/03) - Top-seeded host Montclair State University won the ECAC Division III South Softball Championship for the fourth consecutive season, with a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over second-seeded Rutgers-Camden this afternoon in eight innings.

Montclair State (36-9 overall) won all three of its games in the tournament this weekend, the last two in extra innings against Rutgers-Camden (28-11-1). The Scarlet Raptors advanced to today's championship game with a 1-0 victory over third-seeded Drew University (27-13) earlier this morning, their second win over Drew in two days. MSU edged Rutgers-Camden, 5-4, last night in their first meeting.

Junior pitcher CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ) pitched all eight innings today for MSU, improving to 22-6 this season in striking out two batters and walking one. She was also chosen as the ECAC Division III South Most Valuable Player after going 3-0 this weekend with ten strikeouts.

The Red Hawks trailed, 3-0, after five innings as Rutgers-Camden scored three times in the bottom of the third frame, before MSU came back to tie the game with three runs of its own in the top of the sixth stanza. Junior shortstop DIANA AUTERI (Lyndhurst, NJ) bunted, stole second base, and came home on a single to right field by sophomore infielder NICOLE PACICCO (Tinton Falls, NJ). Pacicco advanced to third on an error and then scored on a wild pitch to bring MSU within a run, before sophomore infielder KARI McDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ) launched her ninth home run of the spring to right center to tie the contest.

Montclair then added three more runs in the top of the eighth inning to record its fifth win in its last seven outings. Sophomore outfielder JOELLE FATA (Bloomfield, NJ) scored off another single by Pacicco, who came home on a sacrifice fly by junior DANA SPRAGUE (North Arlington, NJ). McDonnell reached base on an error, and later scored on another error for the final margin. Rutgers-Camden then posted a walk and three groundouts to shortstop in its half of the eighth inning to end the game.

Junior pitcher SARAH O'MALLEY (Westmont, NJ) took the loss for Rutgers-Camden, falling to 14-4 this season despite tossing seven strikeouts and allowing just six hits, four earned runs and no walks over eight innings. She also batted 2-for-3 against MSU and drove in two runs, and hurled six strikeouts in relief in the win against Drew to give her 13 strikeouts on the day.

Junior catcher ALLISON COONEY (Gloucester, NJ) scored the Scarlet Raptors' only run against Drew, in the bottom of the fourth frame off a two-out double to left by sophomore outfielder BETH LAPUTKA (Berlin, NJ).