Post-Game Press Conference
Montclair, NJ- The Montclair State softball team is heading back to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship as the top-seeded Red Hawks outlasted third-seeded Virginia Wesleyan College, 3-2 in eight innings in the championship game of the Montclair Regional on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Hawks (45-3), who set a single season school record for victories, advance to the national finals for the second straight season and will take on Pella Regional winner Central College (IA) on Friday May 17 at 7:30 pm in Eau Claire, WI.
It will be the seventh overall appearance in the national tournament for Montclair State and the fourth under head coach Anita Kubicka as the Red Hawks will make consecutive appearances for the first time since 1988 when it made the last of three consecutive trips. MSU finished third in the 2012 tournament in Salem, VA and finished second in the 1997 NCAA Softball Championship in Eau Claire. MSU was third at the 1992 finals in Pella, Iowa.
The loss ended the season for the Marlins (41-8), who were making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. Virginia Wesleyan, which won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, bounced back from its 2-1 loss to MSU on Saturday with a 4-0 win over Susquehanna earlier in the day to set up the championship showdown.
The Marlins quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead in their first at bat. Junior
Tori Higginbotham (Glen Allen, Va, J.R. Tucker) smashed a triple to left center field and came around to score as the throw to third skipped into the dugout.
The Red Hawks answered back in the top of the second as sophomore
Melany Zeller (Bloomfield, NJ, Bloomfield) blasted a towering home run to left field, knotting the score at 1-1. Zeller, one of four Red Hawks named to the All-Tournament Team, knocked in the winning run in last year's 1-0 victory over Rowan in the Union Regional that sent the Red Hawks to the NCAA finals in Salem, VA.
The score remained deadlocked until the top of the sixth inning. After getting two quick outs, junior
Alex Hill (Parsippany, NJ, Parsippany Hills), the Montclair Regional Most Outstanding Player, reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a passed ball. Junior first baseman
Tara Petrucelli (Nutley, NJ, Nutley) hit a grounder to the shortstop, but an errant throw allowed Hill to score as MSU went up 2-1.
In the bottom of the frame, Higginbotham survived a lengthy at-bat working out a walk and went to second on a sacrifice. Junior
Season Dailey (Norfolk, VA, Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox) then punched a single into left field driving in Higginbotham in as the game was knotted up again at 2-2.
Montclair State would go back in front in the top of the eighth inning. Freshman righthander
Mary Shipp (Virginia Beach, Va, First Colonial) struck out senior
Jamie Paulino (Linden, NJ, Linden) however a wild pitch allowed Paulino to reach first. Paulino stole second and an infield single by
Dana Amato (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) put runners at the corner. Two batters later, Petrucelli grounded a ball to third that was bobbled. Petrucelli hustled down the line and was able to slide into first base beating the throw as Paulino scored giving MSU a 3-2 advantage.
After retiring the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth, the Marlins had a runner in scoring position after freshman
Courtney Bogan (Round Hill, VA, Woodgrove) reached on an error. But Hill recovered and retired pinch hitter
Lindsey Inzana (Meadows of Dan, VA, Hillsville Carroll County) on a liner to second.
Hill earned the victory upping her record to 37-3 on the year. Hill allowed three hits, struck out 11 and walked three. Shipp took the loss for the Marlins, recording four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Amato went 3-for-4 at the plate for MSU while Dailey collected two of the three Virginia Wesleyan hits.
