Boyertown, PA – Sophomore first baseman Allen Peake had three hits and drove in three runs as seventh-seeded Frostburg State (MD) knocked off No. 2 seed Montclair State in the opening round of the Boyertown Regional of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Bear Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Junior third baseman Rob Clark had three hits and drove in both runs for the Red Hawks (27-17-2), who now fall into the elimination bracket. Montclair will face either No. 6 seed Alvernia College of No. 3 seed Kean University in the first elimination game of the tournament on Thursday, May 18 at 9:30 am. The winner of that morning contest will advance to play again at 4:30 pm.
Montclair State, which is making its 25th appearance in the NCAA Baseball Championship, dropped the first game of the regional tournament for the first time since 1978 when the then Indians fell to Lynchburg (VA), 5-4.
After rain delayed the start of the game 20 minutes, The Red Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as
MICHAEL NUNES drew a leadoff walk and moved to second as
BRIAN BUTLER was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a ground out and Nunes came home as Clark slapped a single to left field.
The Bobcats (28-11) would get the run back in the second as Art Barone doubled just inside the left field line to lead off the inning after an out and single, Peake drove a base hit to left field tying the game. Frostburg would then take the lead for good with three runs in the fourth inning. Peake brought home a run with an infield single to make the score 2-1 and Bryan Short singled through the drawn-in infield to get another across before Brett Mitchell lofted a sacrifice fly for the final run as the Bobcats took a 4-1 advantage.
Peake would add an RBI single in the fourth and Mike Gitzen sacrifice fly in the fifth gave Frostburg a five-run cushion. Montclair State would get a run back in the sixth as Clark delivered his second run-scoring hit of the game. The Red Hawks would load the bases with two outs, however, reliever John Miklus fanned the final hitter of the frame.
Montclair managed one more opportunity to cut the lead in the ninth, loading the bases with out, but Miklus came through against with two fly balls sending Frostburg into a winners' bracket game onThursday where they will face the winner of the Kean/Alvernia matchup.
Miklus picked up his third save of the year making a winner out of Billye Hollister, who upped his record to 10-1. Hollister went 5 2/3 innings allowing five hits and two runs (one earned), striking out four and walking two.
MICHAEL VICARO took the loss for the Red Hawks as he fell to 4-4. Vicaro allowed 10 hits and five runs, striking out six and walking three.
Barone and Chris Jones each had two hits for Frostburg, which out hit Montclair State, 13-7 in the game.
