Winter Haven, FL – Using a pair of late-inning rallies, the Montclair State baseball opened its 2016 season with a doubleheader sweep of Marymount University at the RussMatt Invitational on Sunday.
The Red Hawks scored once in the bottom of the seventh and added another in the eighth for a 4-3 victory in the first game. Montclair then erupted for five runs in its final two at bats of the second contest for a 6-3 win giving MSU a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011.
In the opener, MSU trailed 3-2 but manufactured a run to tie the game.
KEVIN CAMPBELL led off with a single to left field and promptly stole second getting the tying run into scoring position.
RYAN LONG then bounced a ball to second base that was mishandled allowing Campbell to score for a 3-3 tie.
Reliever
ANTHONY DEBLASIO got out of the top of the eighth allowing MSU a chance to win the game in its half.
JOE FOOTE singled with one out which was followed by a base hit from
KEVIN ALONSO. Campbell singled to load the bases before Long made it four in a row with a single bringing home Foote with the game-winning run.
PHILIP SCOTT gave Montclair State a 1-0 lead in the first with a fielder's choice RBI however the Saints (6-9) got two back in the third. Catcher
AARON KANE's run-scoring hit in the bottom of the third knotted the contest at 2-2 before Marymount went back in front in the fifth.
DeBlasio got the win with three scoreless innings in relief as he allowed one hit.
MICHAEL MACCHIA tossed the first five innings allowing three runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked one. Campbell had two of MSU's seven hits in the game.
Freshman
KYLE MISSRY drove in four runs in the second as the Red Hawks rallied once again to complete the sweep.
Missry delivered the first Red Hawk run in the second with a sacrifice fly before took a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. That's when Montclair State scored three times to take the lead.
KEITH MURPHY led off with a double and Foote followed with a single, putting runners on the corners. Missry tied the game at 2-2 with a fielder's choice and
IAN LYNCH brought home the go-ahead run with a ground out. Missry came home on a wild pitch for a 4-2 Montclair State advantage.
Montclair added two more in the top of the seventh. Murphy reached on a fielder's choice and Foote followed with a base hit. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and each crossed the plate as Missry doubled.
Junior righthander
JAY GORMAN (1-0) picked up the win in relief with 1 2/3 innings of relief striking out four and walking two. Murphy and Foote had three hits each for the Red Hawks with Missry going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Montclair State continues action in the RussMatt Invitational on Monday, March 7 with two games. The Red Hawks face Rhode Island College at 11:00 am with a 3:00 pm game set against Concordia University Chicago.
