Little Falls, NJ – Montclair State senior righthander Mike Vicaro out-dueled previously unbeaten Rutgers-Newark junior lefthander Tom Reynolds as the Red Hawks maintained sole possession of the New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball race with a 3-0 win in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Both pitchers went the distance with Vicaro (2-2) limiting the Scarlet Raiders to three singles while striking out 11 and walking only one.  Reynolds (8-1) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two in a game that lasted a tidy two hours and 15 minutes.

Freshman rightfielder SCOTT EVANGELIST, who was the only Red Hawk with two hits, reached on a fielder's choice and scored what proved to be the winning run on a two-out single to leftfield by sophomore shortstop KEVIN CUOZZI in the second inning. Evangelist tacked on an insurance run for MSU in the four, getting a double to the left centerfield gap with one out, moving to third on a grounder to second and scoring on a balk.

Reynolds was further victimized in the eighth when a misplayed fly ball to right centerfield allowed senior leftfielder BRIAN BUTLER to reach second.  Butler went to third on a sacrifice bunt before junior catcher ANDREW VICARO missed a two-strike bunt attempt on a wild pitch by Reynolds.  

Raider catcher Mike Marcucci, who managed to get a glove on the ball, had only a play at first, allowing Butler to score.

Freshman third baseman Christian Diaz  was the only Rutgers-Newark starter to hit Vacaro, getting singles in the second and seventh innings.  Reserve catcher Wilson Martinez got a single to right in the eighth.

Montclair State (17-10-2, NJAC 9-3) stayed atop the NJAC race with a crucial doubleheader at William Paterson set for Saturday.  Rutgers-Newark (18-14, NJAC 8-5) lost their second league game in a row to a complete game pitching performance.  The Raiders are slated to visit Rowan on Saturday for a noon twinbill.