Kissimmee, FL – The Montclair State softball team is headed home with a positive vibe as the Red Hawks extended their winning streak to four games with a pair of close victories over UMass Dartmouth and St. Joseph's (LI) on Saturday at The Spring Games.
Montclair completed its Florida trip at 7-3 after knocking off UMass Dartmouth 6-4 in the first game of the day. The Red Hawks then closed out its appearance at the event with a 5-4 win against St. Joseph's (LI).
Senior catcher
LIA STAMILE had two hits and drove in two runs for MSU in its two-run victory over the Corsairs (7-4).
BLAKE SAPERSTEIN and
VALENTINA CUCCI each had two hits and a run batted in. Cucci picked up the victory in her first start of the year. She went the first five innings allowing six hits and three runs with three strikeouts.
KAYLA VOLANTE escape a jam in the sixth and registered the final six outs for her first save of the season.
AMBER POWERS put the Red Hawks on the board in the third with an RBI double and Blake Saprerstein did the same in the fourth with Stamile collecting a run-scoring single for a 3-0 lead. Cucci continued her torrid hitting with a double in the fifth scoring
KAYLEE POWERS as MSU led by four.
UMD scored three times in the fifth to get within one however MSU was able to bump the lead back to three runs in the sixth. Stamile singled scoring
SAM DICLEMENTI and
ALEXIS LAW delivered a run with a ground out making the score 6-3. The Corsairs got one back in the seventh and got the tying run to the plate, however Volante retired the final two batters to preserve the win.
St. Joseph's struck first in the second contest with a run in the top of the first but Montclair quickly tied things up in its half on an RBI single by Cucci. After the Golden Eagles retook the lead in the fourth, MSU answered again with three runs. Law doubled home two and DiClementi scored giving the Red Hawks a 4-2 advantage.
Law would figure into the final Montclair run as she completed a double steal pushing the lead to three runs. That proved important as St. Joseph's rallied in the seventh scoring twice to get within 5-4. The Eagles had the bases loaded with one out however freshman
ALYSSA BERNARDO struck out the next hitter and got a pop up to end the game.
TAYLOR BROWN and Law had two hits apiece for MSU.
Montclair State will look to open its home schedule on Tuesday, March 19 hosting College of Mount St. Vincent at the MSU Softball Stadium. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3:00 pm.
