Little Falls, NJ - Before he discussed CHRIS BARAN's two-run homer or starting pitcher GEORGE GALLAGHER's strong outing, Norm Schoenig wanted to take about tow plays that didn't dhow up in the scorebook Friday, mus less the box score.

The Montclair State baseball coach was most impressed with two plays made by Red Hawks center fielder FRANK LONGO. They weren't diving catches, or leaping grabs at the wall.

In fact, neither resulted in an out, but Schoenig considered them to be quite important in the Red Hawks' 8-2 New Jersey Athletic Conference win over Ramapo at Yogi Berra Stadium.

The Red Hawks held a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning when Ramapo's Mike Pasch lined a run-scoring single to right-center with two out. Long went a long way to cut off the ball, holding Pasch at first. Jon Encarnacion followed with a double to right-center. Again, Longo cut it off, preventing a run from scoring. Gallagher escaped further damage when he struck out Leon Owen on three pitches.

"The two plays Longo made kept it a 3-1," Schoenig said. "Those two plays were pivotal."

The more obvious heroes for the streaking Red Hawks, who have won nine straight, were Baran and Gallagher. Baran's two-out, two-run homer off Billy Murrin (2-2) in the third opened the scoring and put MSU (12-2-1, 2-0 NJAC) ahead to stay.

"It was a fastball down and in," Baran said. "I just turned on it."

"He got us going," Schoenig said.

MARC HOUSER went 2-for-2 with two runs and BRIAN ELLERSON had two hits and two RBI for the Red Hawks. Gallagher (2-2) allowed six hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings.

"I tried not to walk anybody," said Gallagher, who walked two and struck out four. "We've got a solid defense."

Ramapo coach Dan Palumbo said that defense may have gotten some help from the umpires. After Jon Canter and Pasc led off the third inning with consecutive singles, Encarnacion hit a grounder to third baseman CRAIG CONWAY, who threw to second for the force. But MSU was credited with a double play when it was ruled that Pasch had slid past the bag while attempting to take out second baseman DAVE WURST.

"He slid right into the bag," said Palumbo, who was also upset with the call that preceded Baran's homer.

Wurst lined a shot to third baseman Encarnaction, and it was ruled that he trapped it. Had it been ruled a catch, Ramapo could have gotten a double play to end the inning.

"I wasn't satisfied with the umpiring" said Palumbo. But he added, "Montclair clearly won the game. They're a really, really good team and they're going to be a pain in the neck for everybody all year."

MSU will visit defending NJAC tournament champion Rowan for a doubleheader today (Saturday), beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Said Gallagher, "As Coach (Schoenig) always says., we got to go down there like we're playing one game. And if we win that (first) game, then we have a chance to win two."