Montclair, NJ – Sophomore KAYLEE POWERS went 6-for-7 with four runs scored, a homer and three runs batted in as Montclair State swept past Keene State 12-2 and 4-0 at the MSU Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore ELENA RADESICH belted a home run and VALENTINA CUCCI drove in two runs in the second game as the Red Hawks improved to 8-4 on the year as they returned to action following a 15-day layoff. Montclair last played on March 9 in Florida.

MSU collected five hits and took advantage of five Keene State errors in the first game. Powers scored on one those miscues as she stole third and scampered home in the first inning after the throw skipped down the left field line. She extended the lead to 4-0 in the third blasting a three-run shot over the left-centerfield fence.

Keene State (3-9) got a run back in the third as Mikayla Pacy lofted a sacrifice fly in the third. The Red Hawks answered that with an RBI single by BLAKE SAPERSTEIN and sac fly from Samantha DiClementi extending the lead to 6-1.

Montclair broke the game open in the fourth with six runs. KAYLEE POWERS scored on a ground ball by sister AMBER POWERS that also produced another run on an error. Eadesich doubled home AMBER POWERS making the score 9-1 with Saperstein getting a second RBI on a sacrifice fly. DiClementi tripled home a run and later scored on an error for a 12-1 advantage.
Emma Pede homered in the fifth for the Owls.

Righthander KIARA RUIZ was the benefactor of the run support as she upped her record to 4-1. Ruiz allowed three hits and struck out one. Molly St. Germain (2-4) took the loss for Keene State.
In the second game, sophomore righthanders NICOLE MAJEWSKI and Cucci combined on a five-hit shutout, Montclair State's fifth of the season. Majewski went the first 6 2/3 innings striking out two and giving up six hits before Cucci retired the final batter.

MSU snapped a scoreless game in the second. VICTORIA GEHRING led off with a triple and scored a Cucci flared a single into left field. The two combined for the next run in the third as Gehring was hit by a pitch with two outs. She would steal second base and came around to score when Cucci doubled up the right-center gap.

An error in the fourth allowed KAYLEE POWERS to come home with third run before Radesich capped the scoring with a solo shot in the fifth off the scoreboard in left-centerfield.

Cucci and KAYLEE POWERS each went 3-for-3 for MSU.  

The Red Hawks are back in action on Tuesday, March 27 as it hosts Hunter College at the MSU Softball Stadium with first pitch set for 3:00 pm.