Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University baseball team clinched a spot in the 2025 New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament with a 12-7 victory over Rutgers-Camden on Friday afternoon at Yogi Berra Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (24-13, 10-6 NJAC) fell behind in the game's opening stanza, as the Scarlet Raptors put the leadoff man on and advanced him to third through a stolen base and ground out. They would plate the run during the next at-bat on a single through the left side for the game's opening tally. Montclair surged ahead in the home half of the inning, as BILLY TIGAR ripped a ground-rule double to left field to drive in CHASE FISCHER and MARCUS JOHNSON. LUKAS EGENHAUSER used an infield single with two runners in scoring position to notch the team's third run of the stanza.
• After Rutgers-Camden sliced the deficit in half in the third, Montclair countered in their half of the inning on a leadoff double by MICHAEL MURPHY followed by a throwing error which allowed him to score. The Scarlet Raptors tied the game in the fifth, as a single to center field made it a one-run game following a leadoff double down the right field line. During the next at-bat, a double to center field drove in the equalizer.
• Tigar singled in the home half of the inning and Egenhauser walked to put two runners on for CHRIS GONZALO later in the stanza, who launched a home run to left field to vault Montclair back in front, 7-4. Rutgers-Camden crept back into the game the next inning, as a ground out with two runners in scoring position brought in a marker, and an infield single cut it to a one-run game. Fischer answered in the same stanza with a home run to left center to make it a two-run lead.
• The Scarlet Raptors brought in a runner on a safety squeeze in the seventh to cut the lead in half, but Levis tripled to left field to plate Gonzalo and BRODY DIERS to push the Red Hawks into double-digits. In the eighth, Murphy singled up the middle leading to a home run for Tigar to increase the margin to five. PATRICK TEEHAN shut the door in the ninth to clinch the postseason berth for the Red Hawks.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Tigar led the way for the Red Hawks offensively with three hits and four runs batted in. He has notched a trio of hits in back-to-back games and has accumulated 11 hits over his last five games. His four RBI matched his career-high, with his home run being his third of his collegiate career.
• The home run for Gonzalo was the third of his freshman campaign, increasing his hitting streak to five contests. He has driven in 11 runs during that span. Levis has reached base safely in each of Montclair's last 19 contests dating back to March 21.
• Murphy and Egenhauser each notched a pair of hits, with the home run for Fischer being his second in as many games and eighth on the season. Egenhauser has recorded a hit in seven consecutive games, tallying 13 during that stretch and driving in eight runs.
• PATRICK CUCCURULLO earned his fifth victory of the season, accumulating five and two thirds innings on the mound for Montclair.
• Teehan pitched the final three and a third innings, punching out two batters en route to his ninth save of the year, ranking second in the nation. He moved into a tie with Taylor Parsons for the most in program history.
• Montclair is 18-5 at home this season and have won 74 games at Yogi Berra Stadium dating back to the beginning of the 2021 campaign.

FROM THE FIELD

"Resilient victory from our guys today, we're happy to clinch a spot in the NJAC Tournament and we look forward to Sunday to potentially earn a home game in the First Round of the Tournament." - Head Coach Dave Lorber

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will travel to The College of New Jersey for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 27 to conclude the regular season. First pitch from Ewing, NJ is scheduled for 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM.