Montclair, NJ – Sophomore designated hitter
JORDEN JURKIEWICZ blasted a pair of home runs and finished with six RBI as Montclair State scored 13 runs in the first inning in a 23-4 victory over New Jersey City University at Yogi Berra Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
JOE NORTON and
MILES FEASTER each added five runs batted in as the Red Hawks (21-7, 6-1 NJAC) took the first game of the home-and-home series with the Gothic Knights (8-18, 0-7 NJAC). The two teams are scheduled to meet at the Thomas M. Gerrity Complex in Jersey City on Friday, April 15 at 3:30 pm.
Montclair sent 17 hitters to the plate in its first at bat, scoring the most runs in a first inning since it put up the same number against Franklin & Marshall in the 2006 NCAA Regional Tournament. Jurkiewicz got started with a two-run opposite-field homer just over the wall in right field. Feaster followed with a two-run single and an RBI base hit by
JASON MOORE made the score 5-0.
MSU plated two more on an error an a two-run double by
PETER COSENTINO extended the lead to 9-0. Jurkiewicz collected a third RBI in the inning with a base hit and, after Jurkiewicz came home on a wild pitch, Feaster doubled home the final two runs giving him four RBI in the inning and a 13-0 Red Hawk advantage.
New Jersey City would get two runs in the second and another in the third to cut into the deficit, but Montclair answered that with nine runs in its half of the inning. Feaster lofted a sacrifice fly and Norton cleared the bases with a double pushing the score to 18-3. Jurkiewicz unloaded his second homer of the game, a three-run shot off the scoreboard in left-center.
ANDREW OLLWERTHER capped the inning with an RBI double with Norton accounting for the final Red Hawk run in the fourth on a single that brought home
RYAN MCKENNA.
The offensive explosion was more than enough for lefthander
ETHAN GONZALEZ, who improved to 2-1 on the year. Gonzalez allowed six hits and three runs (two earned). He struck out two and walked two.
Jurkiewicz finished 4-for-4 with Ollwerther also going a perfect 3-for-3. Norton and Feaster had two hits apiece for Montclair State, which had 16 in the game.
