Little Falls, NJ – Sophomore lefthander
COREY HAMMAN struck out 11 and pitched a five-hit, complete game as No. 2 Montclair State bounced back from its first loss in 18 games with 6-3 victory over defending NCAA Division III champion North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday.
Senior left fielder
MARC HOUSER drove in a pair of runs as the Red Hawks (32-4-1) topped the Battling Bishops in the Lou Greco / John Cowan Memorial Tournament. Sophomore shortstop
BRIAN ELLERSON went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
Hamman improved to 6-2 on the year as he allowed three unearned runs and hit double digits in strikeouts for the third time this season.
Meeting for the first time since the 1998 NCAA Division III World Series, MSU took advantage of an error to get on the scoreboard.
GEORGE GALLAGHER was hit by a pitch and a
FRANK LONGO grounder was misplayed. After a fly out and force out at third base, Houser lined a two-run, opposite-field double down the left field line scoring Francia and Longo for the 2-0 lead.
Another miscue by North Carolina Wesleyan in the fourth led to run. Francia reached with two outs, went to third on another opposite-field double by Houser and scored as the ball was misplayed in left field.
It took two batters for the Red Hawks to score in the sixth. Longo tripled to right center to open the inning and scampered home on Ellerson's sacrifice fly making the score 4-0. NCW cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning as a two-out error left the door open. Taylor Williams took advantage driving in two runs with a triple.
Montclair State answered in the seventh as
CHRIS BARAN singled on a bunt allowing
JEFF SCHRIBER to come homer for a 5-2 advantage. In the eighth, Ellerson singled with two outs to extend his hitting streak and raced home on a triple by Francia.
Houser, Francia, Longo and
CRAIG CONWAY all had two hits each for Montclair State.
Sean Fleming (3-4) took the loss for the Battling Bishops.
Montclair State continues play in the Greco/Cowan Tournament on Sunday, May 7 with two games. The Red Hawks will face Ithaca College followed by a matchup with Bridgewater State (MA).