Montclair, NJ – Sophomore shortstop AMBER POWERS drove the game-winning run in the opener while junior righthander NICOLE MAJEWSKI tossed a shutout in the nightcap as Montclair State swept past local rival William Paterson at the MSU Softball Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Sophomore catcher ALEXA PENNA went 5-of-7 at the plate as the Red Hawks (28-10) rallied in the bottom of the seventh for a 7-6 win in Game 1 before completing the sweep with an 8-0 victory. MSU snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Pioneers in the process winning for the first time since April 2014.

Montclair also inched closer toward securing a berth in next week's NJAC Tournament. The Red Hawks are currently fifth at 9-7, while Stockton is in sixth at 6-8. Rutgers-Camden is lurking in seventh at 5-9 however MSU swept the Scarlet Raptors back on April 6.

Junior BLAKE SAPERSTEIN put Montclair 1-0 in the first inning of the Game 1 with the Red Hawks added runs in the second and fourth innings. An error allowed two runs to score in the second while Samantha DiClementi and ELENA RADESICH each had RBI singles in the fourth extending the lead to 6-1.

William Paterson (16-18, 3-13 NJAC) rallied back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before scoring three times in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. In the bottom of the seventh, Montclair put together three straight hits to win the game. Penna led off with a double and went to third on a base hit by TAYLOR BROWN. Powers launched a single to left for the game-winning run.

Majewski got the victory as she got all three outs in the seventh to quell the Pioneers rally. Penna was 3-for-4 while Brown, Powers, DiClementi and LIA STAMILE all had two hits.

Majewski (9-3) would scatter eight hits with a strikeout as she registered her first shutout of the season.

The Red Hawks got all the runs they would need in the fourth inning. Stamile doubled home the first run and Brown got home the next run with a single. Brown and Penna would successfully pull off a double steal for a 3-0 lead before Powers' single back though the middle for a four-run lead. Saperstein added an RBI single for the final run of the frame.

Montclair State tacked on three more in the fifth for the final margin. Powers plated one with a fielder's choice and VALENTINA CUCCI walked with the bases loaded to force in another run. Saperstein lofted a sacrifice fly for the eight run.

Powers, Stamile, Penna, Brown and DiClementi all had two hits apiece for the Red Hawks.

MSU closes out its regular season on Saturday, April 27 with its final conference doubleheader. The Red Hawks will be in Glassboro, NJ facing Rowan University at 1pm.