Montclair, NJ – A day after posting a season-best for runs and hits in a game, the Montclair State bats were more potent on Friday as the Red Hawks reset those marks completing a sweep of William Paterson University with a 17-3 victory at Yogi Berra Stadium.

Freshman rightfielder Ryan Long (Washington Township, NJ, Washington Township) went 3-for-4 with four RBI while junior lefthander Jonathan Torregroza (Bound Brook, NJ, Immaculata) registered his third complete game as the Red Hawks (18-15) won for the 10^th time in their last 12 contests. Senior third baseman Connor Abreu (Piscataway, NJ, Piscataway) also had three hits for MSU, which pounded out 19 in the game as day after getting 18 in a 12-3 win at WPU on Thursday.

Montclair more importantly improved to 11-5 in the NJAC as it kept pace with Kean University for third place in the league with one day remaining before the conference tournament which begins on Tuesday, April 29. The Top 3 seeds in the six-team, double-elimination tournament get first-round home games.

Torregroza set the first six Pioneers down through the first two innings before Montclair exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second sending 10 batters to the plate. Designated hitter Keith Murphy (Point Pleasant, NJ, Point Pleasant Boro) singled to score the first run and Anderson Rosa (Perth Amboy, NJ, Perth Amboy) added another with an infield single with P.J. Jennings (Morris Plains, NJ, Morristown) coming home on an error on the same play as MSU led 3-0.

Abreu and Long collected back-to-back singles before senior second baseman Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ, North Hunterdon) drove in two more making the score 6-0. Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ, Randolph) added the final run on a fielder's choice.

The Pioneers answered back with two runs in the third. Mike Sasso (West Orange, NJ / Montclair Kimberly) and Tyler Gargiulo (Paramus, NJ / Paramus) led off with singles and both came around to score on a double by Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, NJ / South Plainfield) as WPU cut the deficit to 7-2. But that would be the only major offensive threat for the Pioneers until the ninth inning.

Meanwhile, Montclair State added to its lead in the fourth scoring four times. Long had a two run double and Philip Scott (Paulsboro, NJ, Paulsboro) delivered another with a sacrifice fly before Jennings' RBI single increased the Red Hawks lead to 11-2.

Cory Cordasco (Toms River, NJ, Toms River North) was 2-for-2 and had two RBI for Montclair State while Jennings also had two hits. Twelve different players drove in a run for the Red Hawks. 

The offensive onslaught was more than enough for Torregroza, who improved to 4-2 after allowing eight hits, striking out seven and walking none. Sophomore righthander Frankie Colasante (Paramus, NJ / Paramus) took the loss falling to 1-3.
 
Pasternak was 2-for-4 for the Pioneers (11-19-1, 5-10-1 NJAC).

Montclair State hosts New Jersey City University on Saturday, April 26 at Yogi Berra Stadium in their final NJAC contest of the season. It will be Senior Day as the Red Hawks will honor 12 prior to the game – Abreu, Martini, Pace, Reynolds, Jennings, Dylan Papa (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield), John Silvestri (Livingston, NJ, Seton Hall Prep), Louis Pimpinella (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley), Nicholas Martins (Linden, NJ, Linden), Jayson Stolz (Iselin, NJ, John F. Kennedy), Pat Golden (Denville, NJ, Morris Knolls) and Juan Perdomo Jr. (South Brunswick, NJ, South Brunswick).