Virginia Beach, VA – Powered by four home runs, the Montclair State University baseball team surged past Virginia Wesleyan 16-5 on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (5-1) broke the scoring open in the first inning, as MILES FEASTER reached on an error allowing JARED LEVIS from third. Montclair plated another run on an error with the bases loaded, and BRODY DIERS cleared the diamond with a grand slam to left field to make the score 6-0 after half an inning.
• Virginia Wesleyan tallied their first run of the day in the bottom of the frame, but Montclair tacked another on in the second. LUKAS EGENHAUSER singled through the left side and stole second during the next at-bat, where Feaster singled up the middle to bring him home.
• Montclair continued their offensive firepower in the third, as a ground out with the bases loaded brought in the day's eighth tally. Feaster doubled up the middle during the next at-bat to drive in another run, and JUSTIN KILYK emptied the bases with a two-run home run to push the lead to double-digits.
• The Marlins hit a two-run homer of their own in the bottom half of the stanza, but Kilyk countered with his second of the day to center field in the fifth to make the score 12-3. Montclair continued to threaten in that inning, but Virginia Wesleyan induced a double play with the bases loaded.
• Montclair tallied two more runs in the sixth before Kilyk sent his third home run of the day over the fence to make the margin 12. An error in the bottom of the sixth brought Virginia Wesleyan to within 10 again, but the visitors recorded the final marker of the day in the seventh, as Egenhauser hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Diers.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• PATRICK CUCCURULLO earned the victory for Montclair on the mound, as he amassed six strikeouts over six innings pitched. BRENDAN ROCHE punched out two batters in the seventh to close the door.
• Four Red Hawks recorded multiple runs batted in, with three tallying four on the afternoon.
• Kilyk finished four-for-five on the day with three home runs and four RBI. It marks the first multi-home run game for a Red Hawk since SAM ANGELO on April 13, 2024.
• The grand slam for Diers was the first for Montclair since April 3, 2023, when Xander Nabors cleared the bases against DeSales.

FROM THE FIELD

"Good bounce back win with an opportunity to win the series tomorrow." - Head Coach Dave Lorber

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will wrap up their three-game set against the Marlins on Sunday, March 2, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM.