Little Falls, NJ – Senior leftfielder JEFF MILLER (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) and junior first baseman LOU POLITAN (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) each drove in a pair of runs to back a strong eight-inning effort from junior righthander JAIRO MENDEZ (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) as Montclair State completed a season series sweep of New Jersey City University with an 8-1 victory in NJAC Baseball action at Yogi Berra Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

ROB BOWNESS (Sparta, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored as the Red Hawks improved to 18-15 overall, 10-5 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks entered the day in fourth place in the NJAC standings.  

Junior shortstop Jose Fulgencio (Bronx, NY/San Rafael (Dominican Republic)) was 2-for-4 and set a new school record as he extended his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games. Fulgencio entered the game tied with Don Nelson, who strung together 23 in a row during the 2001 season. Ironically, Nelson's hitting streak was stopped by the Red Hawks that year.  

Mendez evened his record at 3-3 this season as he allowed just five hits, striking out three and not walking a batter. The junior allowed a run in the third inning as Ryan Pelt (Branchville, NJ/High Point) and Matt Caravano (Elizabeth, NJ/Roselle Catholic) both singled and moved up a base on a sacrifice by Rob Sumner (Union, NJ/Union). Andrew Decibus (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) then line a ball to centerfield that was deep enough to score Pelt with the game's first run.  

Montclair State would erase that 1-0 deficit in the fourth with three runs against starter Baldwin Vargas (New York, NY/Alfred Smith). ANDREW VICARO (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) singled with one out and Bowness followed with a double to put runners at second and third. Vargas would get the next hitter, but Politan line a clutch two-run double to left center scoring both runners to give MSU the lead. On the play Politan would advance to third on a miscue in the outfield, a error that would prove costly as he would score on a passed ball for a 3-1 MSU advantage.  

Miller would extend the lead with an RBI single in the fifth and Rob Clark (Livingston, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) added one of his own the following inning as MSU widened its lead to 5-1. Montclair would collect two more runs in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Miller and sacrifice fly by Vicaro. Joe Zembryski (Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) capped off the scoring for MSU in the bottom of the eighth with a sacrifice fly.

Vargas fell to 3-5 as he allowed seven runs (six earned) and 11 hits in seven innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Politan led a 14-hit attack for Montclair as he went 3-for-4. Miller, who also had two stolen bases, and Bowness were each 2-for- while Clark was 2-for-3. Sophomore ED KLOEPPING (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville) was 2-for-2 and a double off the bench. Pelt finished 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Gothic Knights.

Both teams continue NJAC play on Friday, April 27 with home games. Montclair State is at Yogi Berra Stadium to take on the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark while the Gothic Knights host first-place Kean University at the Gerrity Complex. Both games are slated for 3:30 pm.