Little Falls, NJ (04/20/04) - Montclair State University swept Kean University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference softball doubleheader today at the official "Grand Opening" of the new MSU Softball Stadium. Montclair State held on for a 1-0 victory in Game One, and then rebounded for a 4-2 triumph in Game Two.

Montclair, which has now won eight straight games and still stands third in the conference, is 24-6 overall and 11-5 in NJAC play, while Kean falls to 8-20 on the year and 5-11 in the league. A pre-game ceremony before the first contest concluded with a ceremonial first pitch from Carmen Berra, wife of Baseball Hall of Famer and New York Yankee legend Yogi Berra.

MSU took the lead in the opener in the bottom of the fourth inning when junior outfielder MEGAN SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) singled, took second on a wild pitch and then third on a sacrifice, and then came home on a hit to right field by freshman catcher MEGAN TANTUM (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) for the only run of the game.

Kean used a single and a walk to get two runners aboard in the top of the seventh with one out, but MSU came up with a force play at third base and then a foul-out to third to hold on for its fifth shutout in a row.

Senior pitcher CRYSTAL SWEENEY (Edison, NJ/Edison) improved to 13-4 for MSU, allowing just two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Senior hurler Nicole Patterson (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) suffered her first loss (1-1) for the Cougars, despite surrendering just two hits and two walks.

MSU went up 1-0 again in the rematch, as junior outfielder JOELLE FATA (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) singled in classmate NICOLE PACICCO (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional), who reached on a fielder's choice and took second on a hit to right by Tantum.

Kean would take a 2-1 lead after three, as senior infielder Deanna Thomas (Salem, N.J./Salem) led off with a double to right-center, and later scored on an error. Junior outfielder Megan Sworen (Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley) reached on an error, and then scored on a single up the middle by Patterson, with both Kean runs unearned.

MSU tied the game in the fourth as senior shortstop DIANA AUTERI (Lyndhurst, NJ/St. Mary's) singled, took second on an error, took third on a single by senior pitcher ATHANASIA TOTARO (Roseland, NJ/West Essex), and then came home on a single by junior third base KARI MCDONNELL (Wrightstown, NJ/N. Burlington).

The Red Hawks took the lead in the top of the seventh on a bizzare play. With the bases loaded, Kristin Lawrence (Salem, N.J./Salem) uncorked a pitch in the dirt that bounced off the backstop and rolled toward the first base side. Totaro, who was on third base, initially broke for home, but pulled up. In a scramble, the ball was picked up and flipped to home plate, however, the throw sailed wide and into the MSU dugout allowing Totaro and McDonnell, who was on second, to score.

Totaro struck out six Kean batters and walked two others in throwing the first six innings, picking up the win to improve to 10-2 this spring while going 4-for-4 at the plate in the second game. Sweeney tossed two strikeouts in the seventh to pick up her second save this spring, while Lawrence took the loss (2-11) for the Cougars, allowing four hits and three unearned runs along with one walk in five innings of relief.