Little Falls, NJ (4/22/10) – Senior second baseman MEGAN DURKIN (West Orange, NJ / West Orange) scored on a wild pitch to cap a four-run seventh inning as Montclair State stunned Baruch in the first game 6-5 before blanking the Bearcats in the nightcap 8-0 as the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader at the MSU Softball Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Senior righthander ELIA PERSICO (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee) fired a three-hit shutout in the second game as the Red Hawks upped their record to 17-13 on the season.  Baruch fell to 15-19 with the two losses.

The Bearcats scored in each of their last four at bats, including two in the top of the seventh inning as Andrea Tepfer (Staten Island, NY / Susan Wagner) and Melanie Pellegrino (Brooklyn, NY / Edward R. Murrow) each drove in a run to make the score 5-2. But Montclair rallied as KELLI O'BRIEN (Edison, NJ / Edison) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball. JAMIE PAULINO (Linden, NJ / Linden) walked, but Baruch made a force out a third on STEPHANIE SZELIGA's (So. Plainfield, NJ / So. Plainfield) fielder's choice.  LESLIE GONZALEZ (North Bergen, NJ / North Bergen) ground out for the second out, but that would be the last one the Bearcats would get.

SHANNON MOZEK (Wayne, NJ / Wayne Valley) walked to load the bases and Durkin delivered a key hit with a two-run single to center making the score 5-4. KELLY NANCE (Marlboro, NJ / Marlboro) followed with an RBI double to left tying the game at 5-5 while putting the game-winning run 60 feet away. Durkin then scored as Tepfer uncorked a wild pitch capping Montclair's comeback as the Red Hawks took the first game 6-5.

Freshman righthander JAMIE MILLER (Spotswood, NJ / St. John Vianney) earned the win as she improved to 8-5. Miller allowed five runs (four earned) and 13 hits, striking out one. Tepfer suffered the loss falling to 11-5. Nance and Paulino had two hits for MSU while Melissa Pena (Queens Village, NY / W.C. Bryant), Tepfer, Pellegrino and Andrea Feeney (Ulster, NY / Kingston) each had two hits for Baruch.

The win provided plenty of momentum for the Red Hawks who then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second contest. Gonzalez led off with a single and later scored on a error for the first run. O'Brien added another run with a base hit and HEATHER BERGMAN (Berkeley Heights, NJ / Gov. Livingston) brought home two more as she singled through the middle of the infield.

MSU tacked on three more runs the following inning. Mozek plated the first with an RBI single and Gonzalez scored on a passed ball for a 6-0 lead before Mozek crossed on an error as Montclair built a seven-run advantage.

That turned out to be more than enough for Persico, who improved to 9-7 with the victory. She struck out two and walked two. Nicola DeVine (Farmingdale, NY / Famringdale) took the loss to fall to 1-2.

Gonzalez, Mozek, O'Brien, Paulino and Szeliga had two hits apiece for Montclair State.

The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, April 24 as they host Kean University at the MSU Softball Stadium beginning at 1:00 pm.