Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University softball team split its home opener with Hunter College on Tuesday.
 
The Red Hawks (6-6) blanked the Hawks 8-0 in game one before falling 2-0 in the nightcap.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Montclair opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. MADISON LEECH reached on a one-out single and promptly stole second base. STEPHANIE SERETIS laced a 2-0 pitch into right field, bringing Leech home, making it 1-0.
• After doubling the lead in the second on a safety squeeze bunt by RILEIGH GLYNN, the Red Hawks tacked on three more in the third. Seretis led off with a double and pinch runner KAYLEE DELOSSANTOS came around on a single from KATIE BRUNNER. DYLAN BOLES stepped up two batters and launched a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall to make it 5-0.
• Leech's RBI single and a dropped fly ball made it 7-0, while BROOKE BIAMONTE fanned two hitters in the fifth. Montclair completed the shutout in the fifth, as FAITH COLLIER singled with one out. LIZ MULLEN lined a double down the left-field line to score MARIAH CARRASCO from first base.
• Neither side could push a run across until the fourth inning of the second game. With two down, a blooper in the infield scooted by the fielder allowed the opening run to score from second base.
• The Hawks doubled their advantage in the sixth, as they strung together two straight hits to make it 2-0. The Red Hawks put runners on first and second in the home half of the inning, as Boles singled and Carrasco walked. They could not push a run across as a strikeout ended the frame.
• Montclair threatened in the seventh, as Mullen reached on a dropped fly ball to lead off the inning. NOELLE WOOD beat out a grounder to third before a fielder's choice recorded the first out. After a strikeout, Seretis took first on a fielding error by the third baseman, loading the bases. The Red Hawks failed to score, as a pop up in the infield retired the side.

 INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Boles' home run was the first of her career and the second by a Red Hawk this season.
• Five of the nine Red Hawks had two hits in game one, with Seretis and Mullen notching doubles.
• ALI CAVALLARO tossed 4 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing just four hits while striking out three,
• SAGE RIZZI was the hard-luck losing pitcher in game two, throwing a complete with 10 strikeouts. The 10 punchouts marked a career-high and is the first Red Hawks with 10 or more strikeouts since Cavallaro against Rutgers-Newark on April 2, 2022.

FROM THE FIELD 
"Pitchers threw another great game and I was very happy with the defense. Hitting was great in game one but we struggled to make adjustments in game two. We have a busy week ahead so we need to learn from today and get 1% better everyday." Interim Head Coach Nicole Degenhardt. 
 
UP NEXT
The Red Hawks host Stevens in non-conference action on Thursday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 pm at the MSU Softball Stadium.