Montclair, NJ – Junior third baseman ELENA RADESICH drove in four runs in the second game helping Montclair State salvage a split of its NJAC doubleheader with Rutgers-Newark at the MSU Softball Stadium on Tuesday.

Montclair (19-5, 2-2 NJAC) took the second contest 10-3 after falling 11-8 in the opener, a game in which the Scarlet Raiders (9-13, 2-2 NJAC) scored eight times in the top of the seventh to erase a three-run deficit.

After the stunning loss in Game 1, the Red Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second contest. Radesich singled into right field scoring sisters Amber and KAYLEE POWERS. Rutgers-Newark cut that in half in the second on an RBI single by Riley Scuralli but RBI singles by KAYLEE POWERS and VALENTINA CUCCI in the home half pushed the lead to 4-1.

Brielle Mattiello put down a successful squeeze in the third with Julia Contravo adding a run-scoring single pulling the Raiders within 4-3. Montclair State answered that with three runs in its half. Freshman TAYLOR BROWN doubled in the first run. Catcher Alex Penna and KAYLEE POWERS both singled back through the middle for runs giving Montclair a 7-3 advantage.  Brown had an RBI single in the fourth and Radesich a two-run hit in the sixth to account for the final MSU runs.

Righthander VALENTINA CUCCI picked up the victory as she improved to 6-1 on the season. Cucci allowed seven hits and three runs, striking out two and walking four. Jackie Lara (4-3) took the loss.
KAYLEE POWERS was 3-for-3 with Radesich, Brown and Penna each recording two hits.

In the opener, Montclair trailed 3-0 before scoring six runs in the fifth inning. KAYLEE POWERS drove in the first two and Saperstein followed with a two-run double putting MSU in front 4-3. Samantha DiClementi singled home another run and an RBI by Brown gave Montclair the three-run advantage.

Trailing by three in the seventh, the Raiders put together a tremendous rally sending 12 batters to the plate. Mattiello got Rutgers-Newark within a run with an RBI single and Lara was hit by pitch with the bases loaded tying the game at 6-6. Contravo walked to give Rutgers-Newark the lead and a three-run error made the score 10-7. Sarah Stiehler scampered home on a wild pitch to complete the rally.

The Red Hawks would not go quietly. Brown dorve in a run with a base hit and Penna's ground out got MSU to 11-8 with runners on second and third with two out. ALEXIS LAW then sent a fly ball down the right field line that looked as if it would fall in. However, Brittany Hernandez made a nice running catch to preserve the victory.

Paige Masiello (3-4) got the victory in relief as she pitched the final two innings. Michelle Capizzano, who began the game for the Raiders, re-entered in the seventh to earn her first save of the season. KAYLA VOLANTE (3-1) suffered the loss for MSU.

Radesich and DiClementi had three hits each for the Red Hawks.

Montclair State returns to action on Thursday, April 4 with its final non-conference contest of the season. MSU will be in Madison for a doubleheader with Drew University beginning at 3:00 pm.