Clearwater, FL - The Montclair State baseball team closed out its appearance in the Clearwater Invitational with a 13-2 loss to Allegheny College on Thursday afternoon. The Red Hawks finished their trip 4-2 and head back to Montclair with a 4-4 overall record.

The meeting was the first between Montclair and the Gators since 2000 when MSU posted a 10-3 win at the NCAA Division III World Series en route to the national championship.

Montclair State jumped out to a two-run lead in the second as JAY COOK (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) drove home a run with a fielder's choice to break the scoreless game. DANNY RODRIGUEZ (So. Brunswick, NJ/So. Brunswick) then sacrifice home MIKE WEISS (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) for the other run.

However, Allegheny came regained the lead with four runs in the top of the sixth. Brian Moore belted a two-run homer and Evan Vonleer put the Gators in front with an RBI single. Hector Urena, who reached on a base hit, accounted for the final run as he crossed home plate on a passed ball.

The Gators then put the game away with seven runs in the seventh inning. Sam McCarthy began the scoring with an RBI double and and Brad Rocco made it 6-2 with an RBI double of his own. Urena and Ben Hantz made it a six-run lead with RBI singles before Vonleer got his second RBI of the game on a two-base hit.
Joe Dunham picked up the victory as he pitched the first eight innings allowing two runs and seven hits. He walked five and struck out three before giving way to Marty Santek, who pitched a scoreless ninth.
SHAWN ELLERSON (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) took the loss surrendering three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

BRIAN BUTLER (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo), MATT BENEDETTI (Summit, NJ/Summit) and Weiss each had two hits for Montclair State.

The Red Hawks will next be in action on Wednesday, March 24 as they travel to Delaware to face Wilmington College. MSU's weekend series with Cortland was postponed. Montclair is slated to open its 2004 home slate on Saturday, March 27 as it hosts Rennselaer.