LITTLE FALLS, NJ – Rutgers-Newark senior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer was the only Scarlet Raider with two hits as Montclair State posted an 8-1 New Jersey Athletic Conference win in Yogi Berra Stadium.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

A day after dropping a 5-4 decision to the Scarlet Raiders (14-10, NJAC 6-2) in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, the Red Hawks (12-9, NJAC 4-4) got superlative pitching to post an important NJAC win while dropping the Rutgers-Newark out of a first-place tie in the league.

Reitemeyer singled in the third and fifth innings, stealing his 13th base of the year in the third, but the Raiders could come up with just five singles against MSU starter Jonathan Torregroza (1-2) and reliever Alex Lesch. Torregroza went eight full innings, allowing those five singles while striking out seven and walking two.

The Red Hawks jumped on Raider senior ace Billy Cerruti (3-5) for six earned runs on seven hits and four walks in the opening two innings. The lefty had allowed just one earned run in his previous 28 innings before the onslaught snapped his three-game winning streak.

Freshman Steven Wikoff came on to give the Raiders five innings of solid relief. The righthander yielded one run on three hits and a walk while striking out three. Rookie Lou Karcanes gave up a run on a hit while walking one and striking out one to close out the eighth.

The lone Raider run came in the second inning when junior first baseman Chris Ballester opened with a single before junior designated hitter Mike Ciaramello stroked a two-out RBI single to right.

Senior centerfielder Michael DiCenso singled to right to lead off the sixth for the other Raider hit.

Junior catcher Kevin Bond paced the Red Hawks' 11-hit attack with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and three runs. Junior outfielder Mickey McGraw and senior first baseman Jason Chesterman also had two hits apiece for MSU. Chester drove in three runs with a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.

The Raiders fall a game behind Kean and Rowan – both 7-1 – in NJAC standings as the conference season reaches its midpoint with tomorrow's doubleheaders.

Rutgers-Newark travels to Rutgers-Camden on Sunday for a noon NJAC twinbill.  Orginally set for Saturday, the doubleheader was moved back one day because of rain in the forecast.  The Raiders' trip to Alvernia, which was set for Sunday at 1 p.m., has been cancelled because of the NJAC postponement.