Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University baseball team collected two wins on Sunday afternoon, taking down Franklin & Marshall 2-1 and 6-3 to sweep the twinbill at Yogi Berra Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (5-1) scored their first run of the day in the bottom of the second inning, as MARCUS JOHNSON drove in JASON MOORE on a single to center field. After gaining the lead, MATT PONTARI retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced, including four strikeouts.
• With two runners in scoring position with one out in the top of the sixth, the Diplomats were able to bring a run home on a sacrifice fly to level the game. 
• Montclair regained the advantage in the bottom of the eighth. After JOE GISONDA tripled to right field, REECE MALEK flied out to right field, scoring the runner from third. After the leadoff man reached in the top of the ninth, JACK HAVESON retired the next three batters to seal the victory in game one.
• The strong pitching performances continued in game two for the Red Hawks, as MICHAEL TIMBERLAKE tallied five strikeouts through the first three innings.
• Montclair collected six runs over the opening two innings. RYAN MCKENNA grounded into a double play in the bottom of the first, bringing home Johnson from third. In the second frame, Johnson reached on a dropped fly by the third baseman, scoring two runs. The next at-bat, SAM ANGELO cranked a three-run home run to right center to double the lead.
• Franklin & Marshall got on the board in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to left center, and tallied two more runs the following inning on another RBI single and a wild pitch.
• MICHAEL TODARO struck out the side after entering in the top of the eighth and closed out the Diplomats in the ninth to cap off the sweep for the Red Hawks.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Angelo finished with five hits, three RBI, and one run over the two contests. He has hit two home runs over his last three games.
• Pontari threw 5.1 innings and struck out six in game one, with Haveson allowing just two hits over the final 3.2 innings of the contest.
• Timberlake, CHRISTIAN ADDOTTA, and Todaro combined for 12 strikeouts in game two, which is one off the season-high of 13, set on February 24 against Mount Aloysius.
• Montclair has allowed just five runs over its last three games.

FROM THE FIELD

"Pitching was the story of today and we had some really good outings especially from our starters [Matt] Pontari and [Michael] Timberlake. Always tough to sweep a double header and we found ways to walk out with two wins." - Head Coach Dave Lorber

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will close out their four game homestand on Monday, March 4 against Maritime College. First pitch from Yogi Berra Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 PM.