Mahwah, NJ – The Montclair State softball team suffered a pair of tough losses as the Red Hawks fell twice to first-place and 21
st-ranked Ramapo College 4-3 and 8-7 on Thursday afternoon.
Freshman second baseman
KAYLEE POWERS had four hits and three RBI for MSU, which fell to 20-16 on the season, 7-9 in the NJAC. Montclair currently sits in final playoff spot, two games ahead of Rutgers-Camden (5-11) and 2 ½ games in front of The College of New Jersey (4-9-1). The Red Hawks are also a half-game behind Stockton (7-8-1) for fifth.
Montclair State hosts TCNJ on Saturday, April 29
th at 1:00 pm. The Lions take on New Jersey City on Friday.
In the opener, the Red Hawks took a 1-0 lead as Powers scored on a ground out by
ELENA RADESICH. After the Roadrunners (25-7, 15-1 NJAC), tied the game in the second,
VICTORIA GEHRING doubled home a run in the fourth and Powers scored on a wild pitch in the fifth for a 3-1 lead.
That advantage held up until the bottom of the seventh when Ramapo scored three times. An error put the first runner on and Ally Spellman followed with a double. Harper Patsko singled tying the game. The Red Hawks would get the next two outs but a single and hit batter loaded the bases. Nicole Hernandez then walked bringing home the winning run.
Paige Merle (1-1) got the win for Ramapo with two innings of scoreless relief. Freshman
KIARA RUIZ (2-1) took the loss for the Red Hawks.
VALENTINA CUCCI had two hits for Montclair with Powers going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a pair of walks.
In the second game, the Roadrunners jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Spellman singled in the first for the first run and belted a three-run homer in the second during a five-run inning. Patsko also homered in the frame.
Montclair battled back in the top of the third with four runs, three coming off the bat of Powers, who blasted a three-run home run.
BLAKE SAPERSTEIN added an RBI single as MSU closed within 6-4.
The Roadrunners tacked on a run in the third and fifth innings for an 8-4 advantage but again the Red Hawks answered. Powers singled home one run and
NOEL HODGINS lofted a sacrifice fly making the score 8-6.
Cucci slugged a solo homer to lead off the seventh for MSU making it a one-run game and the Red Hawks put the tying run at second following a one-out error and single by Gehring. But Merle rtired the next two hitters to preserve the victory.
Erin Fitzsimmons (10-3) got the victory with Merle picking up her third save of the year.
NICOLE MAJEWSKI (5-6) took the loss for MSU.
Powers finished 3-for-4 while Cucci, Saperstein and Gehring had two hits apiece.