Little Falls, NJ (4/12/05) - Freshman 1B JACKIE FERRANTI batted 5-for-7 with three RBI and scored two runs to help Montclair State University to a two-step sweep of The College of New Jersey today in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at the MSU Softball Stadium. The Red Hawks won the opener, 4-1, and then took the nightcap by an 11-2 count for their fifth win in their last six outings. MSU is now 17-5-1 overall (4-4 NJAC) while TCNJ falls to 20-11 (5-5 NJAC).

Montclair senior DP NICOLE PACICCO homered to left center field in the first inning of Game One to give MSU a 1-0 lead, but TCNJ came back to tie the contest in the top of the second as senior IF Cristina Venetucci singled home sophomore OF Kristin Boyer, who led off the frame with a double and then advanced to third on a sacrifice hit. MSU made it 4-1 in the bottom of the third when Ferranti's shot to left center glanced off the glove of TCNJ freshman CF Christina Lizzi and over the fence for a three-run homer. Lions' senior starter Jess Donohue lasted 3.1 innings, surrendering seven hits and four earned runs while striking out two MSU batters in falling to 11-3 this spring. Montclair State junior ATHANASIA TOTARO improved to 10-3 on the year in allowing four hits, one earned run and seven walks while fanning five hitters in 6.1 innings before giving way to freshman hurler CAROLYN MCCREA, who retired the last two TCNJ batters to earn her first career collegiate save.

The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the rematch as senior 3B Siobhan Scullin doubled, went to third on an MSU error, and then came home on a single by senior RF Kristen Zimmermann. The Red Hawks then generated seven runs in the top of the second stanza off seven hits, with Totaro driving in two runs off a double to left field and seniors KARI MCDONNELL and JOELLE FATA collecting single RBI. McDonnell finished the day hitting 4-for-7 and scored two runs as MSU pounded out 16 hits in Game Two and 25 hits in all.

Totaro then singled in another run in the fifth inning to put the Red Hawks up, 9-2, and sophomore ERICA HEINE and freshman ZAIRY RAMOS then scored as pinch-runners in the top of the sixth for a nine-run MSU lead. McCrea improved to 3-0 for MSU in allowing just five hits and one earned run with two walks and three strikeouts over six innings, while sophomore Jess Kohut took the loss for TCNJ to fall to 9-6 with seven hits, seven earned runs and one walk allowed against three strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Scullin batted a combined 3-for-6 on the day for the Lions, with two doubles and a run.

The Red Hawks return to NJAC action on Tuesday when they host William Paterson University at 3:00 p.m., while the Lions visit NJAC foe Richard Stockton College that same day and time in Pomona, NJ.