Wayne, NJ – Senior righthander Alex Hill (Parsippany, NJ, Parsippany Hills) tossed a three-hit shutout in the opener as No. 2 Montclair State split its NJAC doubleheader at William Paterson on Tuesday afternoon. Montclair (31-3, 14-2 NJAC) won the opener 1-0 before falling in the nightcap, 6-1.

The split allowed MSU to remain atop the NJAC standings heading into the final conference contests on Saturday, April 26. MSU is one game ahead of the Pioneers (25-7) and Rowan (29-8), both at 13-3. The Red Hawks, who host Rowan on Saturday, need a sweep of the Profs or a win and WPU loss at TCNJ to claim the No. 1 seed.

Hill registered her 13 shutout of the season and the 57th of her career as she improved to 20-2 on the year. She struck out six and walked two giving up three singles while allowing only one runner to reach second base. While Hill kept WPU off the scoreboard, the Pioneers' Allison Podmajersky did the same to the Red Hawks for the first 5 1/3 innings before the Red Hawks broke through.

Second baseman Katie Muglia (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) walked with one out and junior Melany Zeller (Bloomfield, NJ, Bloomfield) followed with a base hit putting runners on first and second. After the second out, freshman Lauren Guillen (Secaucus, NJ, Secaucus) bounced an infield single allowing pinch runner Jeanine Karnilla (Bridgewater, NJ, Bridgewater-Raritan) to score with the game's only run.

William Paterson threatened in the seventh as Hill walked the first two batters. However the righthander regrouped and retired the next three batters to give Montclair State the first game victory.

In the second game, Gabrielle Castelli held the Red Hawks in check allowing five hits.

William Paterson would get all the runs it would need in the third inning as Kelsey Wimmershoff belted a three-run homer off starter Alison Cullen (Branchburg, NJ, Immaculata) giving the Pioneers a 3-0 lead. WPU would add another run in the fifth before MSU broke through against Castelli in the sixth inning.

Zeller opened the inning with a walk and Muglia followed with a single sending pinch runner Cullen to third base. Shortstop Brianna Davidson (Monroe Township, NJ , Monroe Township) singled back up the middle bringing home Cullen as Montclair cut the deficit to 4-1. William Paterson put the game away in the bottom of the inning with two runs for the final margin.

Cullen suffered her first loss of the season (11-1). Davidson had two of MSU's five hits in the game.

Montclair State returns to action on Thursday, April 24 with a non-conference doubleheader against College of Staten Island beginning at 3:30 pm. It will be Senior Day as the Red Hawks will honor their five seniors – Hill, Cullen, Muglia, third baseman Dana Amato (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) and catcher Alisha Cumberton (Toms River, NJ, Toms River East).