Glassboro, NJ – The Montclair State baseball team fell short in its quest for its first New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship in 13 years as the Red Hawks fell to Rowan University 7-5 in the championship round on Sunday.

Junior Christopher Reynolds (Randolph, NJ, Randolph) and freshman Philip Scott (Paulsboro, NJ, Paulsboro) each had two hits and an RBI as Montclair threatened in the ninth inning before falling to the Profs. MSU (22-17) needed to defeat the Profs twice to claim the conference crown and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and came close to forcing a winner-take-all contest.

MSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as freshman Ryan Long (Washington Township, NJ, Washington Township) singled with one out and stole second before coming home on Reynolds 's RBI single through the left side. Rowan grabbed the lead back in the second with three runs taking advantage of two Red Hawk errors for a 3-1 advantage.

Montclair got a run back in the third on an RBI single by Scott that scored Long and tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth as Cody Pace smacked a RBI single scoring Jayson Stolz (Iselin, NJ, John F. Kennedy).

The Profs, who captured their second straight conference title, retook the lead in the fifth with three runs, including two on an error by Montclair State.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Red Hawks mounted a rally as Stolz was hit by a pitch and Pace singled with one out. Third baseman Connor Abreu (Piscataway, NJ, Piscataway) singled through the middle scoring pinch-runner Matt Long making the score 7-4 and a walk to Ryan Long loaded the bases. Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ, North Hunterdon) lifted a sacrifice fly scoring Pace bringing the Red Hawks within two. Reynolds then singled in the infield however the Profs caught the runner too far off second base for the final out.

Sophomore lefthander Michael Macchia (Middletown, NJ, Middletown North) suffered the loss falling to 4-3. Junior lefty Jonathan Torregroza (Bound Brook, NJ, Immaculata) pitched four scoreless innings in relief striking out two and walking one.

Ryan Long, Stolz and Pace also had two hits apiece for Montclair State which collected 11 in the game.

MSU closes out its season on Wednesday, May 7 at home against Salisbury University beginning at 3:30 pm.