Jersey City, NJ – The Montclair State baseball team pounded out 39 runs and 45 hits across 18 innings as the Red Hawks rolled past New Jersey City University, 24-9 and 15-5 at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Hawks (18-3-1) extended their winning streak to five while keeping pace with Rowan for first place in the NJAC at 7-1. The Gothic Knights fell to 3-16, 0-6 in conference play.

Junior SCOTT ALLAN came off the bench to go 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in the opener while BRIAN ELLERSON and CHRIS BARAN each had three hits and three runs batted. DAVE WURST, GEORGE GALLAGHER and SEAN MORRISON added two RBI apiece for MSU, which had 23 hits.

The teams nearly matched scoring through the first three innings until the Red Hawks, who led 6-5, took control in the fourth with eight runs. Gallagher started it off with an infield single to plate the first run and a two-run single by Ellerson made it 11-5. Wurst and Baran brought home the final two runs, respectively as Montclair led 14-5.

New Jersey City scored twice in its half of the fourth to cut the deficit in half, however the Red Hawks countered with two runs in the fifth and another in the seventh on an RBI single by Morrison making the score 17-9.

Montclair State kept the bats going with four runs in the eighth as CRAIG CONWAY, Allan and GEORGE BECKER each had RBI doubles with Morrison adding an RBI single. Allan finished off the scoring in the ninth with a three-run homer.

Junior right hander STEVE TRONGONE got the win in relief as he pitched the final 5 2/3 innings. Trongone gave up a run and eight hits with a pair of strikeouts as he improved to 2-0.

The offensive fireworks continued for MSU in the second game as the Red Hawks pounded out 22 hits. Gallagher went 4-for-4 with three RBI with FRANK LONGO going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Ellerson and Wurst had three hits each.

Montclair jumped out to an 8-0 lead scoring once in the first on a Gallagher RBI single and plated seven in the second. Baran drove in two with a double and Longo tripled in two more. JEFF SCHRIBER, Conway and FRANK FRANCIA had a run batted in during the frame.

After NJCU got on the board in the second, Gallagher drove in two with a double in the third with Longo getting an RBI single in the third as MSU went up 12-1 in the fourth after a Wurst run-scoring base hit. MSU finished off its offensive barrage in the ninth scoring three times. MICHAEL CLIFFORD had a single with GARY BRACHT homering to drive in the final two runs.

Junior right hander JIM WHALEN got the victory to improve to 2-0. Whalen went the first six innings, striking out five. COREY HAMMAN, Allan and KEVIN RAKOWSKI-KUHLMAN finished up with a scoreless inning apiece.

The Red Hawks return to action on Tuesday, April 11 hosting top-ranked Eastern Connecticut at Yogi Berra Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.