Union, NJ - The third-seeded Montclair State baseball team was topped by fifth-seeded The College of New Jersey 12-5 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TCNJ drew first blood, scratching a run across with two down in the bottom of the second inning. The Red Hawks (26-10) responded with two of their own in the top of the third. JOE GISONDA launched a towering solo home run leading off the stanza before REECE MALEK and RYAN MCKENNA tallied consecutive doubles to make it 2-1.
• The Lions took the lead back in the fourth, putting up four runs and three hits. Two of the tallies in the frame came on run-scoring outs, with the final two on a two-run double. TCNJ extended their advantage to 8-2 in the fifth, scoring all three tallies without a hit.
• The lead swelled to double-figures as the fifth-seeded Lions scored on a balk in the sixth before adding three markers in the seventh. The Red Hawks threatened with two outs in the eighth, as MATTEO PASCULLI walked and JASON MOORE singled but could not produce a run.
• The Red Hawks cut into the lead in the ninth, after Gisonda singled and McKenna walked. With two outs, SAM ANGELO belted his team-leading 13th home run to right, establishing the final margin.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Seven of the nine hitters in the Red Hawks' starting lineup had at least one hit, with Angelo and Gisonda tallying two.
• MICHAEL TIMBERLAKE struck out three in four innings, with RYAN KRUG adding one punchout in two frames.

FROM THE FIELD
"We have to be able to wash that one away quick and come back out tomorrow ready to go. Can't dwell during tournament time." - Head Coach Dave Lorber. 

UP NEXT
The Red Hawks face second-seeded Kean University in an elimination game Sunday at noon. The winner of that game moves on to face the winner of top-seeded Rowan University and fifth-seeded TCNJ at 7 pm Sunday.