Staten Island, NY – The Montclair State baseball team fell back to the .500 mark following a pair of close losses to College of Staten Island on Saturday.

The Red Hawks had their four-game winning streak snapped as the Dolphins took the opener 2-0 before completing the sweep with a 4-3 win in the nightcap scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth inning. The games were the first between the two schools in May 1994.

In the opener Tom Musso outdueled MICHAEL MACCHIA, who suffered his first loss in three decisions. Macchia allowed eight hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Musso limited MSU to four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

The only scoring in the game came in the bottom of the first as a one-out single and double put runners at second and third. Macchia would get the next out however Frank Smith doubled scoring both runners as the Dolphins led 2-0.

MSU's best scoring chance came in the fourth as it loaded the bases with two outs. But Musso escaped with a strikeout to end the threat.

The second contest went scoreless into the fifth when an error allowed IAN LYNCH to score with the game's first run. CSI quickly answered in its half with two runs on a double. KEITH MURPHY knotted the game at 2-2 in the second with an RBI single and a successful suicide squeeze by JUSTIN EPIFANIO in the eighth put Montclair in front 3-2.
 
The Dolphins answered in the bottom of the eighth as Smith singled with one out driving home the tying run. Two batters later, Phil Ciprello singled into the left field for the
game-winning run.

TAYLOR PARSONS took the loss in relief for MSU. AUSTIN MINTON went the first 7 1/3 innings allowing five hits and two runs. Minton fanned three and walked one.

RYAN LONG had two hits for the Red Hawks.

Montclair returns to action on Wednesday, March 30 at DeSales University in a 3:30 pm contest in Center Valley, PA.