Gwynedd Valley, PA – Senior shortstop
HAYDEN REYES and junior outfielder
DANIEL CLEMENTE each drove in three runs during the nightcap as Montclair State swept past Gwynedd Mercy on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Hawks improved to 4-0 after posting a 5-2 win in the opener. Montclair then pounded out 15 hits in a 15-2 inning in Game 2 to remain unbeaten. The 4-0 start by MSU is the first since it opened the 1977 campaign with four consecutive victories.
In the first game, MSU found itself in a 2-2 until scoring three times in the top of the eighth inning for the lead.
ANTHONY GUARINO led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball.
ERIC HAVNER walked and stole second before Reyes smacked a two-run single for a 4-2 lead.
MICHAEL MURPHY doubled two batters later giving the Red Hawks a three-run lead.
Lefthander
BRIAN REISS, who logged three innings in relief, held that lead in the eighth and turned it over to
CHRIS LUM in the ninth. Lum retired the Griffins in order, striking out two for his first save of the season. Reiss, who allowed a run and two hits with three strikeouts, got the victory.
PATRICK CUCCURULLO went the first five innings giving up a run and two hits with seven punchouts.
CHRISTOPHER WALKER had a pair of RBI for Montclair with Guarino, Murphy and
JOE NORTON each recording two hits.
Montclair scored four times to open the second contest.
PETER COSENTINO singled home the first run with
ANDREW OLLWERTHER adding an RBI base hit. Clemente was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and a walk with the bags full to Havner made the score 4-0.
Montclair extended that lead with four more runs in the third.
SAM ANGELO started it off with a solo homer to right field. The Red Hawks pulled off a double-steal with Clemente swiping home for the first run and a bases-loaded walk to Murphy widened the lead to 8-0.
The Griffins go two back in their half of the third, however put the game out of reach with a six-run fourth. Clemente scored on a passed ball and Reyes delivered an RBI single for a 10-2 lead. Murphy and Angelo each drove in a run before Clemente, batting for the second time in the inning, laced a two-run single for the final two MSU runs.
Senior lefthander
SEAN LEWANDOSKI got the win, his first of the season.
BEN LEVINE,
JACK HAVESON and
DANIEL PEPE closed out the contest with a scoreless inning apiece. Clemente and Reyes had three hits each with Norton, Ollwerther and Angelo each getting two.
The Red Hawks are scheduled to be in action on Wednesday, March 17 on the road in Bethlehem, PA against Moravian College at 3:30 pm. Montclair then returns to Yogi Berra Stadium for the first time this season facing the same Gwynedd Mercy squad in a doubleheader at Noon on Friday, March 19.
