Fort Myers, FL (3/17/04) - The Montclair State softball team, ranked 13th in Division III, kept their winning ways going at the Gene Cusic Classic on Thursday afternoon as they swept a pair of games. MSU (7-1) edged Southern Maine, 2-1 in nine innings before knocking off Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 9-4.

In the opener, the Red Hawks and Southern Maine matched zeros on the scoreboard until the eighth when the tie-breaker rule went into effect.

MSU struck first in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch runner ALLISON KREISS (Lakewood, NJ/Lakewood) scored on sacrifice fly by KARI MCDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ/No. Burlington). But the Huskies tied the score sending the game to the ninth. In that inning, Montclair took the lead for good as MEGAN SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) began the inning at second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by DANA SPRAGUE (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington). NICOLE PACICCO (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) then slapped an RBI single for the go-ahead run.

Righthander CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) earned the hard-fought win as she went all nine innings allowing four hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Sweeney is now 4-1 on the season.

In the second game, MSU broke out on top early as they scored five times in the first inning. Freshman catcher MEGAN TANTUM (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) added to the scoring with an inside-the-park home run in the third.

ATHANASIA TOTARO (Roseland, NJ/West Essex) picked up the victory to improve to 3-0.

The Red Hawks conclude their appearance in the Gene Cusic Classic on Friday, March 19 with a pair of game. MSU will face Defiance (OH) at 9:00 am and complete their schedule with Framingham State (MA) at 1:00 pm.