Softball enjoys record-breaking season

The Montclair State softball team’s 2013 season was one for the record books. Expectations were high after the 2012 season when the Red Hawks reached the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. When they began playing in March, they were already expected to win the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and were ranked No. 1 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll.‌
The players not only embraced the expectation, they thrived on it. For the first six weeks of the season, the team remained undefeated, exceeding the longest winning streak in Montclair State athletic history – a record just set by the women’s basketball team in March.

The streak finally came to an end after 31 games. The Red Hawks finished the regular season 37-3, and then, as predicted, captured the NJAC conference title for the first time since 2008.

The Red Hawks were seeded No. 1 going into the NCAA regional tournament, which was played at the Montclair State Softball Stadium. The Red Hawks swept all four games, punching their ticket to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship – the first time since 1988 that the team made back-to-back appearances in the finals.

The Red Hawks finished the year at 46-5, setting a single-season record for victories. Senior Alex Hill earned First-Team All-America honors while also being named the NJAC Pitcher of the Year for the third time.

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