Ewing, NJ – The Montclair State University baseball team battled The College of New Jersey in a doubleheader to conclude the regular season on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Hawks (24-14-1, 10-7-1 NJAC) fell 17-14 in game one before battling to a 15-15 tie in the second contest of the day.

GAME ONE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TCNJ jumped out in front in the first inning, as a double down the left field line plated two runners in scoring position. After a stolen base advanced the runner to third, a single down the line in right field pushed the margin to three. Another two-run double later in the stanza put the Lions ahead by five.
• MARCUS JOHNSON drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the third, but TCNJ countered with four over the next two frames. Montclair chipped away at the deficit in the fifth, as JARED LEVIS homered to right field, and Johnson singled up the middle to put a runner on for BILLY TIGAR, who doubled to left center to cut the margin to six. 
• The Lions answered with four runs in the home half of the inning on four hits, including three for extra bases. CHRIS GONZALO singled up the middle with two runners on in the sixth to drive in BRODY DIERS from second. Later in the inning, Levis reached on a fielder's choice that brought in MILES FEASTER to make the score 13-5.
• After TCNJ added three more runs in their half of the sixth, the Red Hawks once again answered offensively in the next stanza. Tigar led off the inning with a double to left center, and was driven in during the next at-bat by MICHAEL MURPHY on a single to left field. Later in the frame, DANNY CORCORAN used a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to plate Murphy for the seventh run of the day for Montclair.
• Levis and LUKAS EGENHAUSER led off the eighth with back-to-back hits, and Tigar homered to center two at-bats later to clear the bases and cut the margin to seven. In the ninth, MILES FEASTER walked and Corcoran was hit by a pitch to put two runners on to start the final frame. After Egenhauser was hit by a pitch to load the bases, DYLAN BRIGGS singled to right center to plate two runs and trim the deficit to five. With two outs in the inning, Tigar doubled to left center to drive in two more to make it 17-14, but the Red Hawks could not get any closer.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Tigar led the way with a career-high six runs batted in on four hits, surpassing his previous mark of four, which he did twice this season. The four hits were one off his career-high, which he notched against Guilford on March 11. His home run marked his second in as many games and four on the year.
• The homer for Levis was his second of the campaign, as he finished game one with three hits and two runs batted in. Briggs notched a career-best two RBI with his hit in the ninth.
• Egenhauser and Diers each accumulated three hits in the contest.

GAME TWO

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Levis led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a groundout, Tigar drove in the contest's opening marker on a single to right field. TCNJ put the first two runners on in the home half of the first, but COLIN DOWLEN induced a double play and an inning-ending strikeout to prevent the rally.
• Montclair put the first two batters on in the second for MILES FEASTER, who doubled to left center to drive in both runners. Levis singled two at-bats later with runners on the corners to drive in Feaster, and with two runners in scoring position, back-to-back singles from Tigar and MICHAEL MURPHY vaulted the lead to six. Following a pitching change, Diers ripped a single to left field to plate Tigar, and a throwing error later in the frame allowed two more tallies to go on the board for the visitors.
• TCNJ notched a pair of runs in the third, kicking off the stanza with back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners. A single to left field brought in the opening run for the Lions, and a bases-loaded walk later in the inning doubled their total to cut the margin to seven. Dowlen ended the rally with a three-pitch strikeout and groundout to end the third.
• The Lions added another run in the fifth, and the Red Hawks countered in the sixth on an RBI single from Briggs. TCNJ climbed back into the game in the home half of the sixth, plating seven runs on six hits to tie the game at 10 as the game turned over to the final three innings. Briggs used a sacrifice fly in the eighth to put Montclair back in front, but TCNJ responded with four runs to take a three-run advantage going into the ninth.
• In the ninth, Levis and Tigar reached with infield singles to put runners on the corners. Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two at-bats later, ZACH STEARNS launched a two-out grand slam to center field to push the Red Hawks back in front, 15-14. TCNJ leveled the game in the bottom of the ninth on a home run, and the game was called due to darkness in the 10th, ending in a tie.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• The grand slam for Stearns was the first of his collegiate career and second home run of the year. His four runs batted in set a new career-high.
• Tigar accumulated four hits and two runs batted in. Over his last seven games, he has tallied 17 hits and driven in 13 runs.
• Feaster and Briggs each notched two RBI, with Levis tallying three hits. Levis has reached base safely in each of Montclair's last 20 games dating back to March 21.
• Over the doubleheader, the two teams combined for 61 runs on 76 hits.

FROM THE FIELD

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UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will open the First Round of the 2025 NJAC Baseball Tournament on Thursday, May 1, traveling to TCNJ. First pitch from Ewing, NJ is to be determined.