Jersey City, NJ – The Montclair State softball team's bats were on fire Sunday scoring 32 runs as the Red Hawks swept a doubleheader from New Jersey City University at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex.
Montclair battered the Gothic Knights with a 14-5 victory in the opener followed up with an 18-0 triumph. The Red Hawks improved to 9-15 overall, 2-7 in the NJAC with the two victories.
MSU wasted little time getting on the four scoring four times in the first inning.
BROOKE POWERS brought home the first run with a fielder's choice and
BRIANNA DAVIDSON followed with a base hit before
ALANA LUNA walked with the bases loaded. Luna would later score on a passed ball.
After the Gothic Knights answered with a run, the Red Hawks added five in the second to extend its lead to 9-1. Powers, who finished with four RBI, drove in one with a single and
MELANY ZELLER blasted a two-run homer.
Powers got the victory as she allowed struck out five and walked one in the complete-game effort. Powers, Davidson,
LAUREN GUILLEN and
NOEL HODGINS all had two hits apiece for the Red Hawks, who collected 12 in the win.
In the second game, Powers (7-11) tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out five.
She would get plenty of offensive support as Montclair recorded 17 hits with
TINA CIACCIARELLI,
MELISSA RUSTEMEYER and
SOPHIA IVEZAJ each driving in three runs with Davidson and Powers recording two RBI apiece.
The Red Hawks scored once in the first and twice in the second before erupting for six runs in the third. Davidson had an RBI single and Ciacciarelli doubled home two more. Rustemeyer added a run-scoring double with Ivezaj and Guillen each driving in a run for a 9-0 lead.
Powers opened the fourth inning with a solo homer which was followed by Zeller adding her second round-tripper of the day. Rustemeyer had an two-run single and Powers added a second RBI of the inning with a base hit.
Ivezaj went 4-for-4 at the plate while Ciacciarelli finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Guillen, Powers, Davidson and Rustemeyer had two hits each.
Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, April 14 as it hosts Rutgers-Newark at the MSU Softball Stadium beginning at 3:00 pm.
