Lakeland, FL – The Montclair State baseball team lost its second straight game as the Red Hawks fell to Keene State in the RussMatt Invitational, 8-3 on Saturday. MSU fell to 4-6 on the season.

Montclair took a 1-0 lead three batters into the game. MATT LONG left off with a single and went to second on a ground out. JOE FOOTE then single scoring Long with the game's first run. But the Owls answered with four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 advantage.

Keene State tacked on two more in the bottom of the second and tallied twice more in the fourth making the score 8-1.

Senior KEITH MURPHY snapped the scoring spurt in the seventh manufacturing a run with his legs. Murphy led off the inning with a single, stole second and then swiped third base with an error on the throw allowing him to come home. PHILIP SCOTT collected an RBI single in the ninth for the final run.

Scott went 3-for-4 at the plate with Murphy getting a pair of hits. Righthander AUSTIN MINTON (1-1) took the loss. Minton went seven innings allowing nine hits and eight runs (four earned), striking out eight.

Montclair closes out its southern trip on Sunday, March 13 with a 9:00 am contest with UMass Dartmouth.