Newark, NJ – Junior ADAM CERMINARO homered and drove in five runs while senior CRAIG CONWAY also homered with four RBI as Montclair State posted a 14-1 win in the nightcap to earn a split of its NJAC doubleheader with Rutgers-Newark at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium on Saturday.

Senior designated hitter SCOTT ALLAN drove in three runs in the second game as the Red Hawks (15-8, 6-1 NJAC) suffered their first conference loss in the opener with a 7-1 setback.

Cale McKendrick, Brian Trapani and Steve Ballerini each drove in two runs in the opener to back the pitching of Jed Rohmann for the Scarlet Raiders (20-3, 2-2 NJAC).

Rohmann (3-0) allowed a run and six hits with five strikeouts and five walks through the first seven innings of the first game. Josh Aragon and Jesus Torres combined to get the final six outs to finish off the victory.

That lone run Rohmann gave up came in the first inning as Montclair scratched out a run without the benefit of a base hit. DAVE WURST walked and BRIAN ELLERSON was hit by a pitch with two outs. The runners moved up on a double steal before Allan walked to load the bases. JEFF SCHRIBER drew a free pass forcing home Wurst for a 1-0 Red Hawks lead.

Rutgers-Newark erased that in the second inning with four runs. McKendick doubled down the line in right plating two runs to give the Scarlet Raiders the lead. Trapani added a two-run single making the score 4-1.

A bases-loaded walk to Shawn Dyckman led to a run in the fourth with Ballerini adding a two-run single for the 7-1 margin.

Wurst finished with three hits for MSU.  COREY HAMMAN suffered the loss falling to 4-5. Hamman allowed seven runs (five earned) and seven hits in five innings, striking out three and walking two. JOSH PINE tossed three scoreless innings.

After being shut down over the final eight innings of the opener, the Red Hawks put runs on the board in each of the first six of the nightcap, pounding out 20 hits with six players recording multiple-hit contests.

Conway lofted a sacrifice fly in the first and Allan plated a run in the second on a base hit for a 2-0 lead. Conway's two-run shot in the third doubled the lead with Cerminaro going deep for a three-run shot in the fourth extending the advantage to 7-0. Allan added a two-run double that inning.

Cerminaro added to his outstanding game in the fifth with a two-run triple. Conway had another sac fly in the inning with P.J. BACCARELLA doubling in the final two MSU runs in the sixth.
Rutgers-Newark broke the shutout in the sixth as Dan Mendoza scored from second base on a passed ball.

Lefty JASON ARRE took advantage of the support with six solid innings. Arre (1-0) allowed the unearned run and three hits, striking out three and walking one. Ric Haas, RYAN COSTELLO and Kevin Rakowski each threw a scoreless inning to close out the contest.

Montclair State is back at Yogi Berra Stadium on Monday, April 16 taking on The College of New Jersey at 3:30 pm. It will be the first meeting between the two since the Red Hawks' victory in last year's NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championship game won by MSU en route to its Division III national title.