Montclair, NJ: The Ramapo College softball team split a NJAC double header today at Montclair State University. The Red Hawks took game one, 5-4 in nine innings before the Roadrunners came back, 13-5 five-inning win in game two. Ramapo, who played as the home team, move to 14-10 overall and 5-3 in the NJAC while the Red Hawks now stand at 24-6 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
 
Game One
MSU scored first with an unearned run in the top of the second inning before Ramapo tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Kristen Ruggiero knocked home Olivia Wang with an RBI single, 1-1. The Red Hawks added one run in the top of the third inning, 2-1 before Ramapo once again tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Harper Patsko laced an RBI double to left field plating Krista Verrino, 2-2.
 
Ramapo scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. A double by Verrino in the fourth plated Ruggiero while Ruggiero knocked home Sarah Browning with a double of her own in the fifth, 4-2. 
 
The Red Hawks scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game 4-4 before they plated the winning run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI single from Valentina Cucci.
 
Nicole Majewski (7-1) earned the win in relief for the Red Hawks. She struck out four, walked to and scattered three hits in the final 5.2 innings of the game.
 
Erin Fitzsimmons (7-7) took the tough loss for the Roadrunners on the mound. She struck out six, walked four and scattered seven hits over nine innings of work.
 
Game Two
Ramapo continued to belt out hits in game two with 12, including six extra base hits and a three-run home run. MSU struck first with one run in the top of the first inning before Ramapo pushed five runs across in the bottom half of the inning.
 
With runners on second and third with two outs, Ruggiero laced a double into the left-center field gap, plating Jackie Howarth and Patsko to take a 2-1 lead. Browning poked a single to center to put runners on the corners before Kendra Decker ripped her first home run of the season over the left field wall to extend the lead 5-1.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, Ramapo added four more runs to take a 9-1 lead. Howarth was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before a throwing error from MSU allowed Carli Egan to move to second and Howarth to third with one out. Patsko then put down a bunt single while Howarth came across to score. Ruggiero plated Egan with an RBI single before Decker ripped a double to left-center field, plating Patsko and Ruggiero.
 
MSU added two runs in the third inning. Amber Powers worked a leadoff walk before Kaylee Powers was hit by a pitch. Each moved up one base on an infield ground out before A. Powers scored on a wild pitch. Blake Saperstein then earned an RBI single which allowed K. Powers to score, 3-9.
 
Olivia Want led off the bottom of the third with a two-strike double to right-center field before a triple from Howarth drove her own. Howarth scored on the play when the relay throw in from the outfield sailed wide of third base for the 11-3 lead. Following a pitching change from MSU, Krista Verrino and Egan hit back-to-back doubles to plate the first run of the inning, 12-3. Egan moved to third on the relay throw home before a sac fly from Patsko drove her home, 13-3. The Red Hawks tacked on their final two runs of the game in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from K. Powers and an RBI fielder's choice from Cucci, 5-13.
 
Fitzsimmons would work the fifth inning for Ramapo on the mound taking over for starting pitcher Jessica Becchetti. Becchetti (6-2) scattered seven MSU hits in four complete innings of work while surrendering five runs. Fitzsimmons struck out one and let up just one hit in the final inning to preserve the 13-5 run-rule win.  
 
Patsko finished the second game perfect at the plate, 2-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Ruggiero was 2-3 with two runs scored and three RBI while Decker finished 2-3 with one run scored and a team high five RBI. Wang also finished 2-3 with one run scored while Howarth led the team with three runs scored.
 
The Roadrunners return to action on Saturday, April 13th when they host Rowan University in a NJAC double header at 1pm.