Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State baseball team was swept in its New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday as the Red Hawks fell to Rowan 5-1 and 5-2 at Yogi Berra Stadium.
Senior first baseman
CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS had three hits and drove in two runs for the Red Hawks, who fell to 10-13 overall, 4-6 in the NJAC. Rowan upped its record to 18-7 overall, 7-2 in the NJAC.
Rowan's Ryan Easterday outdueled MSU's
JONATHAN TORREGROZA in the opener. Easterday went the distance to up his record to 3-1 allowing an unearned run and seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two. Torregroza also allowed seven hits in addition to five runs (three earned) with five K's and a walk.
The Profs snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth with three runs. Nick Kreiger brought home the first with a single and Stephen Petriello followed with a two-run double for the 3-0 advantage. Montclair State would get a run back in the fifth as
PETER PENA scored from second base on a throwing error however the Profs added two insurance runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Kevin McMenamin and Steven Todd.
McMenamin, Todd and Kreiger had two hits apiece for Rowan.
KEITH MURPHY went 2-for-4 for the Red Hawks.
Rowan grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap as Casey Grimes delivered a run-scoring single with Eric Oliver, who was hit by a pitch in hit by a pitch in his first three plate appearances, scoring on a throwing error.
MSU tied the game in third.
RYAN LONG singled with one out and twin brother
MATT LONG doubled putting runners at second and third. Reynolds made it two straight double allowing the brothers to cross the plate as the game was tied 2-2.
Rowan regained the lead in the sixth as Oliver scored on an RBI single by McMenamin and the Profs added two more in the sixth for the 5-2 advantage. Mike Ras got the first run home with a hit while Oliver drove in a run with a ground out.
Righthander Ryan Sharkey got the victory to improve to 5-0. He allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one. Corey Feigenbaum pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save of the year. Lou Pimpinella (0-1) took the loss in relief for Montclair State.
Evan Hughes had two hits for Rowan with
MATT LONG and Reynolds getting two apiece for the Red Hawks.
Montclair is back in action on Monday, April 13 heading to LaPlume, PA to face Keystone College at 3:30 pm.