Madison, NJ –
RYAN MCKENNA homered as the Montclair State baseball team scored six times in the first four innings en route to an 8-5 triumph over Drew University Wednesday.
The Red Hawks wasted little time putting up two runs in their first at-bat. Cosentino singled to center with one out and moved to second on a Jurkiewicz single. The two advanced on a stolen base, and Cosentino would score on a
MICHAEL MURPHY groundout.
ANDREW OLLWERTHER would score Jurkiewicz on another single to center. Staked to a 2-0 lead,
ETHAN GONZALEZ escaped the first two innings unscathed, and the Red Hawks would add more runs in the third.
Montclair State took advantage of three walks in the top of the third, as
MILES FEASTER drew a free-pass with the bases loaded.
ANTHONY GUARINO came up next and singled to right, extending the Red Hawk lead to 4-0. Hallgren led off the third with a single but was erased thanks to a 6-4-3 double play. McKenna led off the top of the fourth inning with a home run to right field before
JOE NORTON singled to right. Norton stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Cosentino stepped up and doubled to deep centerfield, allowing Norton to score.
The host Rangers cut the lead in half in the bottom of fifth and chased Gonzalez from the game. Hallgren singled home a run and would eventually steal home as part of a double-steal, but reliever
NICHOLAS SEFICK came in and got a strikeout to prevent further damage. The Red Hawks finished up their scoring in the sixth thanks to a two-out rally. Cosentino tripled to centerfield with a man second and two down to let the seventh run score. Jurkiewicz legged out an infield single to the shortstop, bringing Cosentino home.
Montclair State nearly broke through in the seventh as they loaded the bases, but Norton flew out to centerfield to end the threat. The Rangers tacked on a pair in the home half of the seventh, but reliever
ALEC BENZINGER got a groundout to finish the frame. Neither side could score in the eighth before the game was called due to darkness, with Benzinger setting Drew down in order in the eighth.
Cosentino went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI as Murphy, Ollwerther, Guarino, and McKenna had two hits. Gonzalez and Sefick notched three strikeouts on the afternoon as Benzinger worked 1 2/3 innings for his first save.
The Red Hawks return home Saturday to host Baruch College in a single game at 1 pm at Yogi Berra Stadium.
