Fort Myers, FL (3/15/04) - The Montclair State softball team, ranked 13th in Division III, remained unbeaten after two days of action at the Gene Cusic Classic with a pair of wins on Monday morning.
MSU is now 4-0 this season and has won seven straight dating back to the end of the 2003 season. The Red Hawks have also won 17 straight games at the Gene Cusic Classic dating back to the 2002 campaign.
Senior righthander
CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) earned her third win of the year as Montclair defeated Cazenovia (NY), 4-2, while sophomore righthander
ATHANASIA TOTARO (Roseland, NJ/West Essex) came within one out of a no-hitter as MSU blanked Grinnell (IA), 4-0.
Sweeney pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing two hits and one unearned run , while striking out nine as she moved into sole possession of fourth place on the MSU all-time list for victories. Sweeney passed Robyn Baron (1994-96) for the spot wth her 57th win. Last year, Sweeney posted a two-hit shutout against Cazenovia in Florida in an 8-0 triumph.
In the second game, Totaro was one out away from her second career no-hitter before an infield single in the seventh broke up the bid. Totaro, who also had an RBI in the game, fanned nine as she earned her first decision of the year (1-0).
Scoreless entering the fifth inning, MSU scored all of its runs.
TIFFANY ACIZ (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) reached on an infield single with one out and moved to third as
JOELLE FATA (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) stroked a base hit. Fata then stole second before Totaro's RBI single plated Aciz with the first run. Junior All-American
KARI MCDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ/No. Burlington) then belted a three-run homer to give Montclair at 4-0 lead.
It was the 21st career round-tripper for McDonnell, as she extends her own Montclair State career record.
The Red Hawks are off on Tuesday, but return to action in the Gene Cusic Classic on Wednesday, March 17 as they face Wheaton (MA) at 11:00 am and Buffalo State at 3:00 pm.
