Post-Game Press Conference
Montclair, NJ – Junior righthander
Alex Hill (Parsippany, NJ, Parsippany Hills) struck out 11 and also helped her own cause with a two-run home run as top-seeded Montclair State knocked off eighth-seeded College of Staten Island 7-3 in the first game of the NCAA Division III Montclair Regional at the MSU Softball Stadium on Thursday.
Junior third baseman
Dana Amato (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) also added a two-run homer for the Red Hawks (42-3) who will face either fourth-seeded Kean or fifth-seeded DeSales University on Friday, May 10 at 3:00 pm.
Freshman third baseman Christina Tufano (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph's by the Sea) had homer for the Dolphins (24-15), who face the loser of that contest in the first elimination game on Friday at 11:00 am.
Montclair, making its 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament, broke the scoreless tie in the second inning. Junior catcher
Alisha Cumberton (Toms River, NJ, Toms River East) walked with one out before Hill launched her first home run of the year over the left field fence for a 2-0 Montclair State lead.
Amato extended that lead to 3-0 the following inning with her sixth of the season.
The Dolphins broke through against Hill in the fifth as Tufano led off the inning with her belted her first career home run making the score 3-1.
The Red Hawks, who finished third in last year's NCAA Division III Softball Championship, broke the game open in the bottom of the inning with four runs. Senior centerfielder
Jamie Paulino (Linden, NJ, Linden) brought home the first run with a double and Amato followed with another RBI double for a 5-1 lead. Cumberton singled home Amato with a base hit through the left side before
Melany Zeller (Bloomfield, NJ, Bloomfield) added an RBI single giving MSU a 7-1 advantage.
Staten Island, the CUNYAC champion making its sixth NCAA appearance, did not go away quietly scoring twice in the top of the seventh. Freshman second baseman Alissa Setteducato (Staten Island, NY / St. John Villa) delivered both runs with a double up the left-centerfield gap.
Hill improved to 34-3 on the season as she allowed five hits and walked one. Sophomore righthander Victoria Procopio (Staten Island, NY / St. Joseph Hill) took the loss falling to 19-9 after allowing nine hits and seven runs. She struck out one and walked one.
Amato and Hill each had multiple hit games for MSU with each getting two.
