Little Falls, NJ (5/10/07) – Freshman leftfielder KELLY NANCE (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro) doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as second-seeded Montclair State edged No. 7 seed Manhattanville in Game 3 of the NCAA Division III Softball Montclair, NJ Regional Tournament at the MSU Softball Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

JENNIFER JIMENEZ ( Linden , NJ / Linden ) and KELLY KARP ( Edison , NJ /Edison) each had two hits as the Red Hawks (38-6) were victorious in their first NCAA Tournament game since 1999. MSU, making its 17 th appearance overall, will face College of Staten Island on Friday at 2:00 pm. Sixth-seeded CSI defeated No. 3 seed King's College, 5-3 earlier on Friday.

Brianne Previti ( Staten Island , NY / St. Joseph by the Sea) drove in both runs for Manhattanville (27-9), which is making its third straight NCAA appearance and fourth in the last six years. The Valiants will take on Ramapo College in the first elimination contest of the tournament on Saturday, May 11 at 10:00 am .

Headed into extra innings, Manhattanville threatened in the top of the ninth inning as Previti led off with a single and Trina Ramsdell (Newtown, CT/Newtown) beat out a grounder back to the pitcher to put runners at first and second. But the Red Hawks got a force play at third for the first out and two more ground outs to keep the game deadlocked at 2-2.

In the bottom of the inning, Jimenez led with an infield single. Valiant righthander Maggie Thomas ( Malvern , PA / Villa Maria Academy ) struck out the next hitter, but Nance drove a 1-0 pitch up the right-centerfield gap to score Jimenez with the winning run.

The game-winning double made a winner of MSU junior righthander CAROLYN MCCREA ( Wharton , NJ /Jefferson) , who improved to 28-5 with the victory. McCrea allowed 10 hits, struck out eight and walked three. Thomas (26-4) took the loss as she surrendered three runs and seven hits, striking out six while walking none.

Montclair State got on the board with two runs in the fourth inning. Jimenez opened the inning with a single and Nance added a base hit to put runners at the corners. Nance would steal second before Karp collected an infield single to bring home Jimenez with the first run. Nance would score on a wild pitch for the second MSU run. But Manhattanville would tie the game in the sixth. Thomas singled with one out and Casey Killard ( East Meadow , NY /W. Tresper Clarke) dropped in a double to put runners at second and third. Previti then bounced a ball up the middle to drive in both runners.

Nance and Jimenez each finished 2-for-4 while Karp went 2-for-3 for Montclair State . Thomas, Previti and Ramsdell all went 2-for-4 for the Valiants.