Jersey City, NJ – A day after posting a solid pitching effort in a victory, the Montclair State baseball team had the tables turned on them as New Jersey City earned a split of its home-and-home series with a 4-1 victory at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex on Friday afternoon.

Kyle Kafter pitched seven innings of shutout relief allowing just three hits as the Gothic Knights (12-15, 3-9 NJAC) got a pair of homers from designated hitter Lenin Gomez.

Freshman third baseman JOE NORTON was 1-for-3 with the lone RBI for MSU, which fell to 11-19 on the year, 4-8 in conference play.

The Red Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. RYAN LONG and KEVIN CAMPBELL led off the game with back-to-back walks. A sacrifice moved the runners up and NJCU elected to load the bases intentionally walking PHILIP SCOTT. Norton then lofted a fly ball to left center scoring Long with the game's first run.

But that would be the only scoring Montclair would get as Kafer (2-4) entered in the third inning and shut down MSU the rest of the way, including the final 13 batters he faced.

Meanwhile, the Gothic Knights evened the game in the second as Gomez launched the first of his two home runs, a solo shot over the left field fence.

The game remained 1-1 until the seventh when NJCU grabbed the lead 2-1 on a Nick LoGatto sacrifice fly after the hosts loaded the bases with three straight singles. Gomez added two big insurance runs in the eight with his second home run, a two-run blast to left.

Righthander AUSTIN MINTON (1-4) took the loss for the Red Hawks. Minton went the first 7 2/3 innings allowing four runs and nine hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Montclair State is back in action on Saturday, April 22 with an NJAC road doubleheader at Rutgers-Camden beginning at 11:30 am.