Immaculata, Pa. – The Montclair State baseball team fell to Ithaca College 8-5 in the NCAA Regional Tournament opener for both teams Saturday.
 
The Red Hawks (31-12) will play host Immaculata at 3:40 pm, with the winner moving on to Sunday to play the loser of Ithaca and Keystone at approximately 1:30 pm. The Bombers and Giants will meet tomorrow at 10 am.
 
The Bombers drew first blood in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs. After a pair of walks to lead off the inning, Buzz Shirley laced a single into left field to plate the first run. Left-handed PATRICK CUCCURULLO limited the damage as he fielded a comebacker to start a 1-6-3 double-play which scored the final run of the frame. The Red Hawks put two runners on in their half of the inning after PETER COSENTINO was hit by a pitch and ANDREW OLLWERTHER reached on an infield single. Bombers starter Kyle Lambert escaped the jam thanks to a fielder's choice to end the threat.
 
Montclair State notched their first hit in the bottom of the second thanks to a lead-off double from MICHAEL MURPHY. Murphy was left in scoring position as Lambert set down the next three hitters, including a lunging catch in right field on a liner from JOE GISONDA. Shirley accounted for the Bombers' third run of the afternoon with a double that stayed fair down the left-field line. He would score on a single to center by Connor Pedersen.
 
The Red Hawks cut into the lead in the home half of the third, starting with a lead-off walk from JOE NORTON. Norton moved to third on a single from Cosentino before MILES FEASTER dunked a single into right field. Ollwerther legged out his second infield hit, but Lambert recorded a 6-4-3 double-play to gain two outs as Cosentino scored. Feaster crossed the plate to trim the lead to one as a single glanced off Lambert's glove.
 
After a scoreless fourth, Ithaca doubled their lead to two. Once again, Pedersen singled in the run, with his liner just evading the leaping JASON MOORE. Ithaca loaded the bases, but Cuccurullo got a pop-up to finish the fifth inning. The Red Hawks pulled even in the seventh, scoring twice. Gisonda singled up the middle with one out, but Lambert registered a pop-out for the second out. Cosentino was up next and smashed an 0-1 offering over the left-center field wall for his 10th home run of the season.
 
Riley Brawdy walked to lead off the top of the ninth and moved up a base on a single by Louis Fabbo. The Bombers regained their lead as Shirley delivered his third RBI of the day, this time on a single to right-center. Nicholas Cutaia and Matt Fabian also had RBI singles in the inning to finish the scoring in the top of the ninth. Lambert ended the complete game by setting the Red Hawks down in order in the ninth.
 
Cosentino, Feaster, Ollwerther, and Murphy had two hits, with Cosentino scoring twice. Shirley went 4-for-4 at the plate for the Bombers while Lambert struck out five.