Galloway, NJ – The Montclair State baseball team was topped by Stockton University in both ends of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
The Red Hawks (26-9, 11-3 NJAC) fell 11-10 (11 innings) and 6-3 to have their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Ospreys (15-19-1, 6-8 NJAC).
Montclair State fell behind early, trailing 2-0 after one and 3-2 after three. They pulled even at two with a pair in the second on a run-scoring groundout from
RYAN MCKENNA and an RBI single from
JORDEN JURKIEWICZ. Mckenna brought the Red Hawks level again in the fourth, as he tallied another RBI groundout as the two sides entered the fifth tied at three.
MICHAEL MURPHY and
SAM ANGELO were hit by a pitch with two outs in the fifth before
MILES FEASTER dumped a single into right to plate Murphy. The Red Hawks added to the lead in the sixth, loading the bases on a double by
JASON MOORE, a bunt single from McKenna, and an intentional walk to
PETER COSENTINO. The Osprey pitcher uncorked a pair of wild pitches, allowing Moore and McKenna to scoot home.
NICHOLAS SEFICK entered in the sixth and set Stockton down in order before Montclair State added two additional tallies in the top of the seventh.
ANTHONY GUARINO led off with a single and moved to third on two errors. McKenna slapped a one-out single through the right side for his third RBI before Jurkiewicz recorded an RBI infield single to plate McKenna, extending the lead to 8-3.
The Ospreys got two runs back in the eighth on a two-out, two-run double from Ryan Mihlebach and trailed 8-5 entering the ninth. Closer
JACK HAVESON got the first out on a strikeout, but Stockton loaded the bases on three singles before Thomas Elgrim singled in one run to make it 8-6. Sam Nieves was the next hitter and singled to right, but an error allowed two runs to score, and the game was knotted at eight all. Haveson escaped the jam by getting double-play on a hard-hit ball to left field.
The Red Hawks broke through for two runs in the 11th, as
JOE NORTON led off with a single. Cosentino walked, and a throwing error allowed Norton to move to third. Cosentino stole second, and both runners came home on sacrifice flies from Jurkiewicz and Murphy. Stockton pulled even in the home half of the frame as Elgrim's bunt was thrown away, allowing two runners to score. A sac bunt and intentional walk loaded the bases, and a sacrifice fly by Tommy Talbot gave Stockton the game-winning run.
Cosentino, Feaster, and Moore tallied three hits apiece, while the Red Hawks swiped four bases as a unit.
The Red Hawks grabbed an early lead in game two, with Feaster starting the rally with a two-out single up the middle. He swiped second before coming home on a single from
ANTHONY GUARINO. Moore was the next hitter, and he singled to left, plating Guardino from second. The Ospreys cut the lead in half in the third, but the Red Hawks closed the inning out with a 9-2 double play, as McKenna cut a runner down trying to score.
The Ospreys regained the lead for good in the fifth, as Robbie Ford led the getting hit by a pitch. He scored on a double from Nieves before Jordan Nitti followed up with a double of his own. Stockton finished their scoring in the seventh, tallying two additional runs, but Montclair wasn't done.
McKenna led off the eighth with a single, and Jurkiewicz walked before Murphy singled down the right-field line to make it 6-3. After a scoreless home half of the eighth, Montclair found themselves down to their final at-bat. Feaster singled, and Guarino walked, putting the tying run at-bat with no one out. Stockton made a pitching change and brought in Andrew Luongo, who escaped the jam by getting the next three hitters to close out the game.
Feaster went 3-for-4 with a double in the setback.
The Red Hawks host Kean University on Thursday in their final regular-season home game at 3:30 pm.
