Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark and Montclair State split their New Jersey Athletic Conference opening doubleheader in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium with the Scarlet Raiders taking a 5-4 win in 11 innings before the Red Hawks rebounded for a 2-1 victory.

IN GAME ONE, junior shortstop Kevin Olah lifted a fly ball over the head of a pulled-in centerfielder with two out in the bottom of the 11th to plate freshman centerfielder Ryan Macfarlane from first base with the winning run.  Macfarlane stroked a one-out single to set up the game-winning hit.

The Red Hawks (9-5, NJAC 1-1) knotted the score at 4-4 in the top of the ninth on a walk to junior shortstop Cody Pace and back-to-back singles by senior catcher Scott Glozzy and senior first baseman Scott Nappe.

Senior right-hander Kyle Van Vliet scattered seven hits while striking out eight and walking three over the first 8-1/3 innings while throwing an incredible 154 pitches, but he lost his chance for the win when senior Matt Larangera served up the single to Nappe in the ninth.

Larangera (1-1) settled down to get out of the ninth and sent MSU down in order in the 10th before escaping major trouble in the top of the 11th.  Red Hawk senior centerfielder Jose Carlos Padilla was hit by a pitch ahead of a double to center field by Pace which gave MSU runners on second and third with one away.  But Macfarlane snared a fly ball in centerfield off the bat of Glozzy and pegged Padilla at the plate to end the threat.

Olah paced the Raiders' 17-hit attack by going three for four with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning which knotted the score at 3-3.  Junior rightfielder Jimmy Napolitano, who went four for five, doubled and scored the go-ahead run at 4-3 on a double down the right field line by junior first baseman Vin Troisi with two away in the eighth.

Montclair took a 3-1 lead by pushing across three runs on two hits and two Raider errors in the fifth.  A two-run double to right center field by sophomore outfielder Mike Tolerico keyed the outburst with Tolerico scoring on a ground ball to second to cap the rally.

The Red Hawks burned through six pitchers with junior starter Dylan Papa giving up three runs on a dozen hits while striking out six over the first 6-2/3 innings.  Sophomore Anthony Altieri (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up the lead-off single in the 11th to Macfarlane.

IN GAME TWO, MSU sophomore left-hander Jonathan Torregroza (3-0) was dominant for 8-1/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out nine. 

Senior reliever Jake Campbell got a save by getting the final two outs, but not before creating some drama.  Freshman third baseman Brian Kokos greeted Campbell with a single through the left side.  After a fly ball out, pinch runner Gerry Patrizio went all the way to third on a soft single to center field by junior pinch hitter Ryan Maloney to give the Raiders runners on the corners.  But Campbell struck out pinch hitter Cameron Dias looking to end the game.

Rutgers-Newark starter Michael Garcia (2-2) dueled Torregroza through the first six innings without yielding a run.   Garcia scattered nine hits while striking out nine and walking just one in seven full innings of work before turning the game over to junior Jonathan Dominguez who blanked the Red Hawks for two innings.

A double down the left field line by junior designated hitter Michael Rizzo followed by a line drive single to the identical spot gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth.

Bunt singles by Troisi and Larangera wrapped around a fielder's choice safety on a bunt by Larangera loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth for the Raiders before Olah knotted the score with a sacrifice fly to center field.  But Torregroza escaped further damage by coaxing a ground ball to second to end the inning.

Freshman outfielder Nicholas Martins delivered a pinch hit single through the left side to start the seventh, moved to second on a ground ball out  before advancing to third on a wild pitch before scoring the game-winning run on a single to right field by Pace.

Rutgers-Newark travels to DeSales on Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game before returning to Riverfront on Thursday for an NJAC clash against The College of New Jersey at 3:30.  The Raiders are at TCNJ on Friday before playing a league twin bill at New Jersey City on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m.