Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State baseball swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from Rutgers-Newark on Sunday afternoon, however each game the Red Hawks held off ninth-inning rallies for 4-2 and 8-5 victories at Yogi Berra Stadium.
Montclair (8-11, 3-3 NJAC) got a solid pitching outing from
Louis Pimpinella (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) and
John Silvestri (Livingston, NJ, Seton Hall Prep) in the opener before scoring late in the nightcap as it turned a three-game losing streak in to a two-game winning streak.
Rutgers-Newark fell to 7-16 overall, 1-4 in the NJAC with the two losses as the teams were making up their washed out twinbill from last Saturday (March 29).
In the opener, Pimpinella (1-0) went six innings allowing four hits and a pair runs as he struck out one before Silvestri came on and recorded seven strikeouts over the final three innings for his third save of the year. Sophomore Ryan MacFarlane (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) took the loss falling to 0-2. MacFarlane allowed four runs (three earned) and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Montclair State scratched out a run in the bottom of the first.
Ryan Long (Washington Township, NJ, Washington Township) reached on an error and a single by
Philip Scott (Paulsboro, NJ, Paulsboro) and sacrifice moved the runners to second and third.
Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ, Randolph) then lofted a fly ball to right field scoring Long for a 1-0 MSU lead.
Rutgers-Newark quickly responded with two in the top of the second as it put the first two runners one .Senior catcher Steve Tamayo (South Orange, NJ / Columbia) brought home the first run with sacrifice fly and one out later second baseman Gerry Patrizio (Belle Mead, NJ / Montgomery) singled to right bringing home Nick Gencarelli (Pompton Plains, NJ / Pequannock) to tie the game at 2-2.
The Red Hawks would regain the lead in the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Scott doubled up the gap n left-center and
Nicholas Martins (Linden, NJ, Linden) drew a walk. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Reynolds was hit loaded the bases. Second baseman
Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ, North Hunterdon) then singled back through the middle scoring Martins and Scott giving MSU a 3-2 advantage.
Montclair State would add a run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by
Connor Abreu (Piscataway, NJ, Piscataway), a run that proved big as Rutgers-Newark put together a rally in the top of the ninth loading the bases with two outs. But Silvestri collected the last of his seven punch outs giving the Red Hawks the two-run victory.
Scott finished 3-for-5 for Montclair State while Abreu had two hits. Cameron Dias (Madison, NJ / Madison) went 3-for-4 for the Scarlet Raiders.
In the second game, an RBI double by Martins and run-scoring single by Reynolds staked Montclair to a 2-0 lead in the third. Meanwhile, freshman righthander
Connor Lindsay (New Egypt, NJ, New Egypt) kept Rutgers-Newark off the board through the first five innings before the Scarlet Raiders broke through in the sixth.
Dias had an RBI single for the first run and Jimmy Napolitano (Livingston, NJ / Livingston) lifted a sacrifice fly to score Michael Murray (Bridgewater, NJ / Brdigewater-Raritan) tying the game at 2-2. Gencarelli put the Rutgers-Newark in front with an RBI double.
Senior lefthander
Dylan Papa (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) came out of the bullpen and got the final out and Montclair responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
Anderson Rosa (Perth Amboy, NJ, Perth Amboy) tied the game with RBI single through the left side and Cody followed with a run-scoring single to right field scoring Martini as MSU went back in front 4-3. An error by Rutgers-Newark in the seventh helped Montclair push the lead to 5-3.
In the eighth, Rutgers-Newark threatened as Murray walked and Dias singled putting runners on first and second. A failed sacrifice attempt led to the first out but Gencarelli singled to left loading the bases. Rowland Goodman (West Caldwell, NJ / James Caldwell) then line a ball back through the middle that Papa snared before firing to first base to complete the inning-ending double play.
The Red Hawks added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to push its lead to 8-3. Pace led off with a walk and
Keith Murphy (Point Pleasant, NJ, Point Pleasant Boro) followed an infield single. Abreu sacrifice both runners over and Pace scored as Abreu and second baseman Patrizio collided at first base. Murphy would later steal third and scored as the throw skipped down the left field line and Scott plated the final run with an RBI single.
Those runs proved important as again the Scarlet Raiders threatened in the ninth as it loaded the bases in the first three hitters. Vin Troisi (Hackensack, NJ / Hackensack) brought home the first run on fielder's choice and the bases were re-loaded as Murray drew a walk. Dias single in another run cutting the lead to 8-5. But reliever
Anthony Altieri (Montville, NJ, Montville), who came in with the bases loaded, got a pair of pop ups to end the game.
Papa (2-2) picked up the victory allowing two hits, striking out one and walking one in his 2 1/3 innings of work. Altieri earned his first save. Freshman lefthander Rafael Totesautt (Weehawken, NJ / Weehawken) took the loss falling to 0-1.
Reynolds finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles while Martins collected two hits. Dias was 3-for-4 for Rutgers-Newark with Gencarelli added two hits.
Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, April 8 as it hosts Keystone College at 3:30 pm
