New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MONTCLAIR, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 2 ranked Montclair State University won its 21^st and 22^nd consecutive games, twice blanking New Jersey City University, 8-0 in five innings, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on April 16 at the MSU Softball Stadium, postponed from Tuesday due to rain. The Red Hawks registered their 18^th and 19^th shutouts of the season.
 
Montclair (27-1, 12-0 NJAC), ranked No. 2 nationally in the latest Division III National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll, entered the day with the lowest team ERA in the country at a miniscule 0.57, and limited NJCU to just two hits in each game. NJCU is now 5-25 (1-11 NJAC).
 
In addition to incredible pitching, Montclair won both games thanks to two big innings—a seven-run fifth in game one and a six-run fourth in game two. All eight runs in the second game were unearned.
 Junior left-hander ASHLEY LATUSHKO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) limited the Red Hawks to just four hits in the first four frames before Montclair scored seven runs on six hits, aided by two errors in the bottom of the fifth to enforce the eight-run rule.
 
Three-time First-NJAC All-NJAC and 3-time NJAC Pitcher of the Year Alex Hill demonstrated why she is a two-time First-Team All-America selection. Hill, who entered the game with 205 strikeouts in 126.1 innings versus just 12 walks, registered her 14^th shutout of the season (12^th solo) to decrease her ERA which was just 0.33 entering the game. In 5.0 innings she struck out nine, walked one and allowed just two singles and one hit by pitch while facing 19 batters. Hill entered the game ranked No. 2 in the country in ERA and third in strikeouts per game.
 
Senior third baseman Dana Amato was 3-for-3 with three RBIs, a run scored and her seventh home run of the season while sophomore left fielder Brooke Powers batted 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Designated player Melissa Rustemeyer scored twice.
 
Senior second baseman MAXINE KAMINSKI (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and sophomore first baseman FAITH ELY (Vienna, NJ/Hackettstown) accounted for NJCU's two hits.
 
Montclair got the only run it needed in the bottom of the fourth when it got on the board in a scoreless game on Tara Petrucelli double to left that scored Rustemeyer, who led off with a walk.
 
But Montclair opened up the lead in the fifth. After a single and fielder's choice put two runners on, Amato drilled a three-run homer to left center for a 4-0 advantage. Two singles and an error on a fielder's choice permitted the fifth run. An RBI single by Melany Zeller made it 6-0 before the second error of the inning on a fielder's choice pushed the seventh run across. Montclair won the game due to the eight-run rule when Powers singled up the middle to score Jaclyn Allegretta with the eighth run of the game.
 Montclair scored single runs in the second and fifth innings to wrap around a six-run fourth in posting the five-inning, 8-0 decision. Senior righty Alison Cullen improved to 9-0 with her sixth shutout (third solo), scattering two singles with one strikeout and no walks in a 48-pitch outing.
 
Senior catcher MARISSA BARISO (Hewitt, NJ/West Milford) was 1-for-2 in game two, increasing her career hits mark to 122. Senior All-NJAC center fielder CASEY PEREZ (West New York, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels) also was 1-for-2 with a steal. She increased her career hits total to 91 and stolen base mark to 72-for-75, including 54 of her last 55.
 
Powers, who finished the twinbill a combined 5-for-7 with two runs, finished 2-for-3 with a run. Petrucelli was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and Allegretta finished 1-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a double. Seven different Red Hawks combined for the team's eight hits.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher TAYLOR SETAR (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) took the loss (1-10), despite allowing just five hits in 3.2 innings. Latushko allowed one unearned run and three hits in an inning of relief.
 
Montclair only had three hits in the fourth inning when it scored six times, aided by two of NJCU's four errors in the game. Petrucelli had a two-run single in the frame and Allegretta added an RBI double in the inning. MSU also drew two walks with the bases full. A two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth by Amato produced the game-winning eighth run.
 
NJCU returns to the field on Friday, April 18 at 3 p.m. in NJAC action against The College of New Jersey (6-20, 0-10 NJAC) in Ewing, NJ.