Little Falls, NJ (5/1/05) - Freshman 1B JACKIE FERRANTI went 3-for-5 at the plate and hit two solo home runs, but Montclair State lost to Kean University, 6-4 and 5-1, to fall to 25-9-1 overall and out of NJAC Tournament consideration. MSU finished 8-8 in conference play as its four-game winning string also came to an end. Kean finished the year at 18-21 overall and 6-10 in NJAC play.

Senior 3B Jessica Rios hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Kean the win in the opener, and junior CF Kelly Aleksandrich hit a bases-clearing triple in the fifth frame of the nightcap to complete the sweep. The series had originally been scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Kean's East Campus Softball Field in Hillside, but was shifted to MSU due to field conditions.

Montclair State took a 1-0 lead in the third inning in the opener as senior CF JOELLE FATA walked, stole second, and then scored on a single past the shortstop by senior DP NICOLE PACICCO with two outs. The Red Hawks made it 2-0 in the fourth frame when Ferranti led off with a home run to center field, her third homer of the season. Kean would get one back that same inning as Rios doubled with one out and then came home on a two-out double off the left field wall by junior DP Michelle Baiera. MSU regained its two-run lead when Ferranti led off the sixth stanza with her second homer of the game to center, but Aleksandrich launched her first career homer to left to make it 3-2 in the sixth, and then Baiera scored senior RF Leigh Greenberg from third with two outs on a sacrifice fly to right field, after Greenberg had tripled to right with one out. Rios then homered to left in the bottom of the eighth with two players on and one out, her first career homer, to snap MSU's four-game winning streak. Red Hawk junior RHP ATHANASIA TOTARO took the loss to fall to 15-5 on the season on six hits and five earned runs despite eight strikeouts, while freshman RHP Kristen Hennings picked up the win for the Cougars to improve to 7-9 on the year while fanning five batters and walking four against eight hits and four runs.

Totaro homered to center to put MSU up, 1-0, in the first inning of the rematch, her fourth round-tripper of the spring, but Kean loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth inning and tied the game as junior pinch-runner Kim Birsin scored from third on an error at the plate. Aleksandrich then cleared the bases with a triple to left center for a 4-1 Cougar lead, before coming home herself on a Rios double that made it 5-1. MSU freshman RHP CAROLYN MCCREA took the loss, falling to 6-2 on the year with six hits and four earned runs surrendered against three strikeouts. Kean sophomore LHP Kristin Lawrence improved to 2-4 in allowing six hits, two walks and one earned run while striking out four hitters. MSU sophomore RHP DANA WARNOCK finished the nightcap, tossing three strikeouts in 2.2 innings against two hits and two walks. Red Hawk freshman OF CHERYL BODAK recorded a pinch-hit single in her only at-bat of the night in the second game.

MSU ends its regular season tomorrow night with a doubleheader at home against Scranton (PA) at 7:00 p.m., while Kean has closed out its 2005 campaign with tonight's contests. Montclair State, the five-time defending ECAC Division III South champion, will await the upcoming ECAC selection process.