Cougars Drop NJAC Doubleheader to #10 Montclair State

HILLSIDE, N.J. (4/21/07) - Tenth-ranked Montclair State University won a pair of one-run games over Kean University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Kean's East Campus Softball Field.  The Red Hawks (30-4, 12-2 NJAC) won the opener, 1-0, before holding off the Cougars (20-8, 7-5) in the nightcap, 3-2. 

GAME ONE: McCrea Tosses Two-Hit Shutout

Montclair State junior right-hander Carolyn McCrea (Wharton, N.J.) and Kean sophomore right-hander Meg Gierke (Glen Gardner, N.J.) battled back and forth in a pitchers' duel allowing only six hits combined, and MSU capitalized on a Cougar error to score the lone run of the game in a 1-0 Montclair State victory in the opener.

After two innings with neither team recording a hit, Montclair State junior Whitney Driver (Montville, N.J.) led off the third inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman second baseman Megan Durkin (West Orange, N.J.).  Junior third baseman Jackie Ferranti (Bergenfield, N.J.) followed with a single to centerfield and Driver scored the game's lone run on an overthrow to third base.

The Cougars threatened in the bottom half of the inning on singles by junior first baseman Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and junior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, N.J.).  With the bases loaded and two outs, junior third baseman Kara Schultz (Clinton, N.J.) hit a ball deep to right field, however Driver ended the threat making the inning-ending catch. 

McCrea allowed only two walks and had nine strikeouts to improve to 22-3 this season.  Gierke suffered just her second loss of the season (15-2), as she struck out six batters and didn't allow a walk.

At the plate, Driver finished with a pair of hits for Montclair State, while Kean sophomore second baseman Sara Steinman (Springfield, N.J.) had a pair of walks.

GAME TWO: Cougar Rally Falls Short in Seventh Inning, 3-2

Kean junior shortstop Johanna Hedler pulled the Cougars to within one run with a two-out, two-run homerun in the seventh inning, however Montclair State recorded the final out to preserve the 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

Montclair State took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore shortstop Jennifer Jimenez (Linden, N.J.) homered to left-centerfield for her ninth homerun of the season.

In the first and second innings, the Cougars had runners on first and second, however the Red Hawks got out of the innings to keep Kean off the board.

The Red Hawks tacked on a run in the third inning on a RBI single by senior catcher Megan Tantum (Ewing, N.J.) and scored what would prove to be the game-winning run on a pinch-hit single by junior Cheryl Bodak (South River, N.J.) in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the top of the seventh, junior centerfielder Katy McManus (Edison, N.J.) had a two-out single and Hedler followed with the homerun to right field to pull within one.  With the go-ahead run at the plate, junior reliever Carolyn McCrea ended the game with her fourth strikeout of the game.

On the mound, rookie Elia Persico (Marlton, N.J.) earned her first victory of the season scattering four hits in four innings of work, while McRea earned the save scattering four hits in three innings of relief. 

For the Cougars, sophomore Meg Gierke took her second one-run loss of the afternoon, as she went the distance allowing eight hits with four strikeouts in the falling to 15-3. 

The Cougars return to action tomorrow afternoon, when they face William Paterson University in a NJAC doubleheader in Wayne, N .J.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.