Ewing, NJ – Senior GREG BELSON tossed a complete-game in the opener and the No. 5 Montclair State bats flexed their muscles in the nightcap as the Red Hawks swept The College of New Jersey in an NJAC doubleheader at Ackeman Park on Saturday afternoon.

Junior third baseman CRAIG CONWAY homered in both ends of the twinbill as the Red Hawks (28-3-1, 15-1 NJAC), who extended their winning streak to 15 games, blanked the Lions 4-0 in Game 1 before pounding out 21 hits in an 18-6 second-game victory.

The Lions fell to 24-6-1, 11-5 in the NJAC.

Belson outdueled TCNJ right-hander Chris Buglovsky in a matchup of conference aces. Belson (8-0) allowed four hits, struck out nine and allowed just one runner to reach third base as he registered his second shutout of the season. Buglovsky was touched for eight hits and four runs. He fanned eight and walked five.

Each team had early chances to put runs on the board. Montclair threatened in the first putting runners at the corners with one out. However, Buglovsky escaped that jam with a double-play ball. Belson would do the same in the third after the Lions had first and second with one out and got another twin killing with the bases loaded in the fourth.

Montclair broke the scoreless tie in the sixth. DAVE WURST walked to open the inning. CHRIS BARAN followed single. A bunt moved the runners up and Buglovsky got a pop up for the second out. Pinch-hitter SEAN MORRISON walked to load the bases for BRIAN ELLERSON, who delivered in the cluth with a two-run single to left giving the Red Hawks a 2-0 lead.

Belson set down the Lions in order in the sixth and seventh before MSU added to its lead in the top of the eighth. Conway blasted a pitch over the center field wall scoring Baran, who led off with a double extending the MSU advantage to 4-0.

That would be more than enough for Belson, who closed out his masterpiece by retiring six of the seven final batters.
Conway had three hits. FRANK LONGO went 0-for-2 as his hitting streak was halted at 19 games.

While pitching was the story in the first game, offense would tell the tale in the nightcap as Montclair rapped out 21 hits, including four home runs.

Conway started it off in the first with a two-run shot, his sixth of the year. The Lions tied the game in the second, but Montclair went back on top in the third on a Baran solo shot and a bases-loaded walk to FRANK FRANCIA. Back-to-back homers by Frank Soos and Michael Ahrens in the bottom of the inning re-tied the game at 4-4.

The Red Hawks then pulled away scoring 14 consecutive runs, starting with a seven-run fourth. Baran put MSU ahead for good with a two-run double, and after a Conway RBI double, Ellerson plated two more with a base hit making the score 9-4. Francia and JEFF SCHRIBER connected on back-to-back RBI doubles staking MSU to a seven-run advantage.

Ellerson launched a solo home run in the sixth and Morrison belted a two-run shot in the ninth as MSU tallied four times in its final two at bats.

Sophomore lefthander COREY HAMMAN was the beneficiary of the offensive barrage as he improved to 5-1. Hamman tossed the first eight innings allowing four runs and seven hits, striking out two and walking two. Bryan Dilgard (3-2) took the loss for TCNJ.

Wurst, Baran and Conway each had three hits with Longo, Morrison and Ellerson getting two apiece.

The Red Hawks are back in action on Tuesday, May 2 with a long road contest. MSU will be in Baltimore, MD taking on Johns Hopkins University.