Newport News, VA – The Montclair State baseball team dropped its first two games of the 2014 season on Saturday as the Red Hawks fell to No. 10 Cortland 5-1 and Christopher Newport University, 3-1.
Four Red Dragon pitchers combined to allow six hits as Cortland (4-1) snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning with two runs. Cortland would add another in the seventh and two in the eighth before the Red Hawks finally plated a run in the bottom of the ninth.
Nicholas Martins (Linden, NJ, Linden) walked and an infield single by
Anderson Rosa (Perth Amboy, NJ, Perth Amboy) put runners on first and second.
Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ, Randolph) bounced into a fielder's choice and an errant throw on the play allowed Martins to score the lone Red Hawk run.
Senior lefthander
Dylan Papa (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) went the first five innings allowing two runs and three hits, striking out four. Righthander
Louis Pimpinella (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) pitched two innings with
Pat Golden (Denville, NJ, Morris Knolls) and
Evan Hilla (Marlboro, NJ, Marlboro) finishing up the game with an inning apiece.
Reynolds, Rosa,
Cody Pace (Milltown, NJ, Spotswood),
Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ, North Hunterdon),
Justin Avedissian (Wayne, NJ, Wayne Hills) and
Philip Scott (Paulsboro, NJ, Paulsboro) each had hits for the Red Hawks.
Against host Christopher Newport, Montclair State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Scott walked to open the inning and a one-out walk to
P.J. Jennings (Morris Plains, NJ, Morristown) put runners on first and second. Senior catcher
Jayson Stolz (Iselin, NJ, John F. Kennedy) then singled to center scoring Scott with the game's first run.
The Captains (5-5) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Tommy Vitaletti tripled in a run and scored as the throw to third base skipped away. It would add another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Kyle Corwin and left the rest to reliever Bryan Bierlein who allowed just one hit while recording the final seven outs for the save.
Nick Santalucia (2-0) picked up the win for CNU as he overcame seven walks in going the first 5 2/3 innings. Santalucia gave up five hits, one run and struck out two. Junior lefthander
Jonathan Torregroza (Bound Brook, NJ, Immaculata) took the loss. Torregroza pitched five innings giving up two runs and four hits, striking out five and walking one.
Stolz and Martini had two hits apiece for Montclair State.
The Red Hawks are at the University of Mary Washington on Sunday, March 2 for a 1:00 pm game with the Eagles.
