Winter Haven, FL – The Montclair State baseball team split its two contests in the RussMatt Invitational on Monday as the Red Hawks edged Rhode Island College 7-5 before suffering its first loss of the season to Concordia Chicago, 12-3.

MSU (3-1) took an early 3-0 lead against Rhode Island College only to see the Anchormen battled back and take a 4-3 lead in the fifth innings. Montclair responded in the top of the fifth scoring three times.  RYAN LONG, who homered on the first pitch of the game, lofted a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Senior KEITH MURPHY pushed across the go-ahead run with a single and catcher AARON KANE brought home another with a base hit as the Red Hawks led 6-4.

Rhode Island College got a run back in the seventh trimming the lead to a run and then loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth. Reliever TAYLOR PARSONS would come and got the next hitter looking on strikes to end the threat. The Red Hawks added a run in the ninth on an RBI single by JOHN TEDESCO that score NJAC Player of the Week JOE FOOTE.

Parsons made that hold up with a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season. Sophomore righthander AUSTIN MINTON got the win as he went the first seven innings allowing five runs (three earned) and eight hits. He struck out six and walked one.

First baseman RYAN THIEME went 4-for-4 with an RBI while Murphy, Foote and Campbell had two hits apiece for MSU, which collected 14 in the game.

Against Concordia, the Red Hawks found themselves in a four-run hole after two innings, but battled back in the third with three runs. PHILIP SCOTT doubled in the first run and Thieme plated another with a ground out before Scott scampered home on a passed ball making the score 4-3.

But the Cougars (5-0) scored in each of the final four innings, including a four-run eighth to pull away.

Scott and KEVIN CAMPBELL had two hits apiece for the Red Hawks. MICHAEL MATARAZZO took the loss for MSU.  

Montclair is back in action on Tuesday, March 8 taking on St. Joseph's College (ME) at 9:15 am.