Mahwah, NJ: The Ramapo College softball team improved to 22-9-1 overall, 11-2-1 in the NJAC with a sweep over rival Montclair State University today. The Roadrunners took game one 4-3 while they shutout the Red Hawks in game two 3-0. The Red Hawks now stand at 13-17 overall, 5-9 in the conference.
Ramapo got on the board early with one run in the bottom of the first inning as
Melanie Walling laced a single up the middle plating
Danielle Saporito for a 1-0 lead. Saporito worked a 3-2 walked to lead off the inning.
The Red Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second when Alana Luna belted a two-run home run over the left-center field fence. Brianna Davidson scored as she led off the inning with a double.
In the bottom of the second inning,
Nicole Hernandez and
Jaclyn Lima reach on back-to-back bunt singles while Hernandez moved up to third on an infield error. With two outs,
Kim LaPenta put down a squeeze bunt allowing Hernandez to slide into home plate safely to tie the game 2-2. Ramapo took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. Lima led off with a walk, Saporito put down a bunt single before LaPenta moved them up a base with a sac bunt.
Mikayla Melendez plated one run for the Roadrunners with a sac fly before Lima scored on a MSU throwing error for a 4-2 lead.
MSU came within one in the top of the sixth inning. Lauren Guillen led off with a single, moved to second on a pass ball and moved to third on a sac bunt from Noel Hodgins. Brianna Powers then laced a single through the right side plating Guillen 3-4.
The Red Hawks got the tying run to second base in the top of the seventh inning but the Ramapo defense kept MSU off the scoreboard to earn the win. Starting pitcher
Katrina Buczkowski (10-4) earned her tenth win of the season as she struck out five walked none and scattered five hits in the complete game win.
In game two, Ramapo scored one run in the first, second and sixth innings as they shutout the Red Hawks for a 3-0 win. In the bottom of the first, Walling drove home Saporito with a sac fly to plate the first run of the game. In the second inning, Hernandez ripped a two-out double to left field before Lima drove her home with a triple to left field for a 2-0 lead. In the sixth,
Grace Brennan cracked her team leading fifth home run of the season to lead off the inning and put the Roadrunners in the lead 3-0.
Ramapo starting pitcher
Christina Brizek (7-5) and the Ramapo defense made sure the score would hold for the 3-0 win. Brizek earns her first collegiate shutout of her career as she struck out two, walked two and scattered six hits in the complete game win.
The Roadrunners collected eight hits in the game while LaPenta and Lima each collected two hits apiece.
Ramapo returns to action on Wednesday, April 22nd at NJAC rival Rutgers-Camden University at 3:00pm.
