Little Falls, NJ (4/14/09) – After William Paterson got a brilliant one-hit shutout from freshman Michele Graham (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) in the opener, Montclair State's Sam Depken (Wyckoff, NJ / Ramapo) and
LESLIE GONZALEZ (North Bergen, NJ / North Bergen) each collected RBI's in the eighth inning of the second game as the local rivals split an NJAC doubleheader at the MSU Softball Stadium on Tuesday.
The Pioneers earned a 5-0 victory in Game 1 and nearly pulled off a comeback in the second, rallying for three runs to force extra innings before the Red Hawks posted an 8-6 win. Following the split William Paterson is now 21-5, 8-4 in the NJAC while Montclair is 18-11, 6-5 in the conference.
Graham faced just two batters over the minimum in the first game as she improved to 9-2 on the season. The righthander struck out two and walked one – her first of the season - in picking up the victory. Senior lefthander
KELLY KARP (Edison, NJ / Edison) suffered the loss for MSU as she fell to 9-5.
William Paterson would get the only runs they would need in the second as Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township) singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, NJ / Middlesex) would score on an error as WP led 2-0. A passed ball in the sixth allowed Danielle DeDomenico (Cherry Hill, NJ / Cherry Hill) to cross the plate as the lead grew to 3-0. Christina Zippler (Blackwood, NJ / Washington Township) and Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, NJ / David Brearley) had RBI singles in the seventh to account for the final two Pioneer runs.
Meanwhile, Graham retired the first 15 batters she faced before issuing a four-pitch walk to
ADRIAN RASTOCNY (Colonia, NJ / Colonia) to start the sixth. It was the first allowed by Graham in 61.2 innings. Montclair would eventually get the runner over to third, but Graham got a fly out to end the inning. She set the side down in order in the seventh to complete her first career shutout.
Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, NJ / Ridge) was 3-for-3 for William Paterson while Zippler collected two hits.
In the second game, William Paterson was holding on to a 3-2 lead three outs from victory before Montclair State erupted for four runs in the top of the seventh.
SHANNON MOZEK (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice. A dropped foul ball kept
MEGAN DURKIN's (West Orange, NJ / West Orange) at bat alive and she delivered an RBI double tying the contest at 3-3.
JENNIFER JIMENEZ (Linden, NJ / Linden) followed with and RBI single to give MSU the lead and double by
AMANDA LIVSEY (Congers, NY / Clarkstown North) made the score 5-3. Karp added the fourth consecutive hit to drive in another a Montclair led 6-3.
But William Paterson staged a rally of its own. Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, NJ / Eastern) had an RBI single with one out to trim the lead to 6-4 and a base hit by Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, NJ / High Tech) made it a one-run game. Lacey Santone (South Plainfield, NJ / South Plainfield) tied the game as she lined a single to right and the Pioneers had a chance to win as it had the bases loaded. But
LEIGH ANN MURDUCA (Jersey City, NJ / St. Dominic Academy) got a ground out to quell the rally and the game moved into the eighth.
With the tiebreaker in effect, Montclair took advantage as Depken lined a one-out double to score
KELLY NANCE (Marlboro, NJ / Marlboro) with the go-ahead run. Two batters later it was Gonzalez coming through with an RBI triple as Montclair went up 6-4.
William Paterson would make things interesting in the bottom of the eighth getting runners at first and third with no out. Karp, who began the inning, fanned the next two hitters, but hit Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, NJ / Middlesex) to load the bases. Facing Mulderig, Karp would get a tapper in front of the plate. Catcher
KACIE NEUROUTER (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) stepped on the dish for the final force out as Montclair State earned the split.
Murduca earned the win, her first of the year, her first of the year (1-0). Graham, who came on in the second inning, took the loss as she fell to 9-3. Karp recorded her third save of the season.
Livsey finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, including a home run, her first of the year. Jimenez was also 2-for-3 with two runs batted in while Depken and Mozek recorded two hits apiece. Vitale went 3-for-5 for William Paterson while Reilly, Lindsey Nadolny (Belford, NJ / Middletown North), Mendez, Jimmerson and Santone all had two hits for WP.
Both teams are home for 3:00 pm doubleheaders on Thursday, April 16. Montclair State host Drew University at the MSU Softball Stadium while William Paterson takes on John Jay College at the Pioneer Softball Field.
