Montclair, NJ – Senior third baseman
AMBER REED belted a solo home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth inning as Montclair State edged No. 25 The College of New Jersey for a split of its NJAC doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Senior catcher Danielle Siblio also homered for the Red Hawks (20-15, 4-10 NJAC), who bounced back from a 6-2 set back in game one.
Sibilio gave the Red Hawks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot. The Lions (21-6, 9-3 NJAC) tied the game in the third as Julia Mayernik doubled home Kaci Neveling.
Montclair State regained the lead in the fourth. Siblio led off with a singled and, after a strikeout,
STEPHANIE SERETIS walked out a walk.
ALEXIS LAW drew a free pass to load the bases before
KATIE DEBELL lofted a sacrifice fly scoring pinch-runner
EMILY JACOBS for a 2-1 lead.
New Jersey would battle knot the contest up in the sixth Jaclyn Carifi led off with an infield single and two outs later went to third as Lauren Zengel drove a base hit to left field. Neveling followed with an RBI single for 2-2 tied. TCNJ had the go-ahead run on third, but righthander
ALI CAVALLARO kept the runner there as centerfielder
ANNALESA DILAURENZIO made a running catch in left-center for the final put out.
In the bottom of the inning, Reed crushed the first pitch from Marina Roberts over the left field fence for her first career home run and a 4-3 MSU advantage.
Seretis came on in the top of the seventh and got two ground ball outs before allowing a single to Kayla Hillenbrand. But the righty allowed the Lions to go no further getting a comebacker for the final out to nail down her first career save.
Cavallaro (10-7) got the victory as she allowed two runs and seven hits, walking three and striking out three.
In the opener, TCNJ used a pair of three-run innings in its 6-2 victory. Lauren Conroy singled home Neveling in the third before Mayernik belted a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.
ALYSSA BOROZAN cut the deficit to a run in the fifth with a two-run single to run.
But the Lions answered with three in the top of sixth in similar fashion. Julia Kinnally had an RBI single with pinch-hitter Victoria Aspiazu cracking a two-run shot giving TCNJ a 6-2 advantage.
Ally Schlee (10-0) allowed six hit and struck out in her complete-game effort. Righthander
KAYLA VOLANTE (10-5) took the loss for the Red Hawks.
Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, April 26 with the first of its final two NJAC doubleheaders. The Red Hawks are in Jersey City for a 3:00 pm matchup with the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University.
