Little Falls, NJ (04/15/04) - The Montclair State University team swept a non-conference doubleheader today against the College of Staten Island at the MSU Softball Stadium, winning the opener handily, 17-1, while rebounding for a 2-1 victory in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap.

MSU improves to 18-6 overall and is now 6-2 at its new home facility, while CSI falls to 14-5-1 this spring.

Montclair State held an 11-0 lead after just one inning in the first game, collecting 10 hits and taking advantage of two walks and two errors, before adding five runs in the second stanza and one more in the fifth frame.

Junior third base KARI MCDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ/N. Burlington) started things off for the Red Hawks with a three-run home run to left field to put MSU up, 3-0, and senior shortstop DIANA AUTERI (Lyndhurst, NJ/St. Mary's) would later hit the first grand slam in the history of MSU Softball Stadium to put Montclair up, 9-0, before McDonnell homered again to tie an NCAA Division III record for most home runs in an inning.

Senior first base DANA SPRAGUE (N. Arlington, NJ/N. Arlington) added the park's second-ever grand slam to increase MSU's advantage to 16-0, after junior second base NICOLE PACICCO (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) had led off with a solo home run. Sophomore left field Theresa Tepedino (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph Sea) went 1-for-2 for the visiting Dolphins and scored CSI's only run, while senior pitcher Theresa Caputo (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) took the loss to fall to 7-2, walking seven batters and fanning three.

McDonnell finished 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs in the first game, and increased her school-record career total to 26 home runs, while Sprague went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and also scored two runs. Junior center field JOELLE FATA (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) and sophomore designated player ATHANASIA TOTARO (Roseland, NJ/West Essex) scored three runs apiece, while freshman catcher MEGAN TANTUM (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) batted 3-for-4.

Senior pitcher CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) improved to 10-4 this year, allowing just one earned run to go with one walk and three strikeouts in posting her 64th career victory, tying her for second time all-time at MSU with Lois Fyfe (1989-92), while leaving her just five strikeouts short of tying the school mark of 377 career strikeouts held by Robyn Baron (1994-96).

The rematch was a much different game, as the two teams played to a scoreless tie through six innings until the Dolphins used two singles and an error to take a 1-0 lead. McDonnell then doubled to left field to start MSU's half of the inning, eventually coming home with the tying run on a bases-loaded walk by junior left field MEGAN SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) after Totaro and Sprague both reached base on an error. Pacicco then walked to score Totaro and end the game as MSU improved to 13-1 in non-conference games this season.

Totaro garnered the win, improving to 7-2 this spring in surrendering eight hits and an unearned run against six strikeouts. Tepedino went 2-for-3 in the second game for CSI, while freshman center field Andrea Meise (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond) singled in the Dolphins' only run, scored by junior second base Melissa Quiles (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond).

Freshman pitcher Christina D'Arpa (Staten Island, NY/Moore) fell to 4-3 after allowing just two hits, two walks and two unearned runs to go along with three strikeouts.

The Red Hawks return to action on Saturday, April 17 as they travel to Camden to take on the Scarlet-Raptors of Rutgers-Camden at 1:00 pm. Last year, MSU defeated RU-Camden to take the ECAC Division III South championship, 6-3.