Pomona, NJ -
BRIAN SHEEKEY (Palm Coast, FL/Father Lopez) hit a three run blast and
TOMMY WARTH (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) drove in a pair in the opener as Montclair State earned a split in it 2003 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener with Richard Stockton on Saturday afternoon in Pomona.
The Red Hawks (6-8-1, 1-1 NJAC) won the opener, 13-4, but lost the nightcap, 9-1 in a shortened game due to rain. It marked the first time in 18 meetings that Montclair State lost to the Ospreys (2-10-1, 1-2 NJAC). MSU had won the first 17 games of the series dating back to 1995 when RSC joined the conference.
The Red Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in game number one as they batted around in the lineup. Warth contributed with an RBI single while PJ Baccarella (Bayoone, NJ/Bayonne) and
NATE KOPP (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown) each recorded RBI's with a fielder's choice and bases loaded walk, respectively.
The Ospreys pulled within two as they rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Kevin Makely pushed across two and Ross Karrer drove in one, each on singles.
Montclair then put the game out of reach scoring eight runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Highlighted in the offense was a three run blast off the bat of Sheekey.
Freshman
JAY COOK (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) earned his first win of the 2003 season. Cook (1-1) tossed seven strong innings allowing three runs and eight hits, five in his last inning of work. He also walked one and fanned six.
The Ospreys then took over in the nightcap as they jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, aided by three Montclair miscues. Richard Stockton also tacked on security runs in the third and fifth innings for a 9-0 advantage.
Montclair's lone run came across in the top of the seventh as
SEAN JONES (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown) grounded out to score Warth, who led off the inning with a walk. The game would later be called due to rain in the same inning as the Red Hawks left the bases loaded with two outs. Montclair's only hit of the nightcap was off the bat of Sheekey in the second inning.
Sherod Barber (1-1) earned the win for Richard Stockton. Barber allowed no runs on one hit. He walked eight and struck out six.

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