Union, NJ (5/10/09) – The Montclair State softball team fell two runs short of another final day comeback as the Red Hawks fell to Rutgers-Camden in the championship game of the ECAC Division III Metro Tournament, 6-4 at Kean University on Sunday.

MSU, which needed to win three times to claim its eighth ECAC championship, knocked off Richard Stockton 6-2 and then toppled Rutgers-Camden 4-2 to force a deciding contest.

Montclair State 6, Richard Stockton 2
Junior AMANDA LIVSEY (Congers, N.Y.) was 2-for-3 with a two run shot to propel #2 Montclair State University to the championship game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Tournament, defeating #3 Richard Stockton College, 6-2.

The Ospreys (27-15) took a quick 1-0 lead as senior Melissa Baumgartner (Mt. Ephraim, N.J.) hit a two-out bases loaded single in the first.

MSU took the lead for good in the bottom of the second, plating two runs.  Livsey started off the frame with a single and later moved to second on a sacrifice.  Sophomore SAMANTHA DEPKEN (Wyckoff, N.J.) then doubled down the leftfield line putting runners at second and third.  Sophomore LESLIE GONZALEZ (North Bergen, N.J.) then launched a double of her own, driving in two.

The Red Hawks tacked on two runs a piece in the next two frames to seal the win.

Senior southpaw KELLY KARP (Edison, N.J.) earned the win in relief.  Karp (14-9) tossed six innings allowing just one unearned run along with two hits.  She struck out three.  Junior Kaitlyn Corica (Iselin, N.J.) took the loss for Stockton.  Corica (11-7) allowed all six runs in three and a third innings of work.

Montclair State 4, Rutgers-Camden 2
Freshman MICHELLE MOAT (Waldwick, N.J.) earned her first collegiate decision as Montclair State University forced a second title game by defeating Rutgers University-Camden, 4-2

Moat (1-0) tossed a complete game, giving up two unearned run as well as four hits.

After scoring a single run in the second, MSU (29-17) plated two in the third.  With two outs and the bases loaded, junior KELLY NANCE (Marlboro, N.J.) doubled down the leftfield line to drive in two, giving MSU a 3-0 lead.

The Scarlet Raptors (25-19) cut that lead to just one, plating two runs in their half of the fourth with the benefit of two Red Hawk miscues.
MSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth as senior JENNIFER JIMENEZ (Linden, N.J.) walked with the bases loaded, putting the score at 4-2.

Senior Natalie Powell (Williamstown, N.J.) suffered the loss.  Powell (16-12) allowed four runs, two earned, in the complete game effort.

Rutgers-Camden 6, Montclair State 4
Rutgers University-Camden captured its first Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Softball Championship, defeating Montclair State University, 6-4, in the decisive championship game on Sunday afternoon at Kean University.

Senior Natalie Powell (Williamstown, N.J.) was named tournament Most Valuable Player after earning all three victories on the mound for the Scarlet Raptors.

The Scarlet Raptors scored three runs in the controversial top of the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie.  With runners on second and third base and not outs, Rutgers-Camden appeared to go ahead when freshman catcher Erika Drayton (Blackwood, N.J.) reached on an error and junior third baseman Steph Skroski (Stratford, N.J.) scored.  However, after a 40-minute delay, Drayton was called out for using an illegal bat and Skroski and junior Amanda D'Anduono (Lanoka Harbor, N.J.) returned to second and third base.

Two batters later, freshman Vicki D'Anduono (Lanoka Harbor, N.J.) followed with a single to drive in Skroski and Amanda D'Anduono and the Scarlet Raptors would tack on another run on a RBI single by senior Angie Arpino (Somerdale, N.J.).

Montclair State got a run back with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, before Powell forced a groundout to end the game.

Powell pitched all 27.0 innings of work for the Scarlet Raptors during the tournament.

For Montclair State, Nance was 3-of-3 with one run scored, while freshman shortstop SHANNON MOZEK (Wayne, N.J.) finished 2-of-4.  Mozek's third inning two-run homerun was the first of her career and gave the Red Hawks a 3-1 lead.