Freshman outfielder Michael Muentener races toward second base.
Michael Edwards | The Montclarion
The Montclair State baseball team has been on a roll lately, winning three of their last four games, including wins in their home opener against DeSales University and Lehman College.
Montclair State beat DeSales University 5-1 on March 29 to open their baseball season at Yogi Berra Stadium. Montclair State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a Philip Scott groundout which brought Ryan Long home. Montclair State scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings.
In the fourth inning, two runs came in on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error. In the fifth, Joe Norton singled and brought in two more runs. Michael Manfra got his first win of the season after only allowing two hits through six innings of work.
Montclair State defeated Lehman College in a close 2-1 game on March 30. Lehman went up first with a one-run top of the sixth, but Montclair State took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Long knocked a single that brought home Joe Norton, and Ryan Thieme scored on a fielder’s choice. Jay Gorman also picked up his first win of the season in relief with a five strikeout, scoreless two-inning effort.
Over the weekend, Montclair State split a doubleheader at Stockton University with a 12-5 loss in game one and a 14-5 win in game two. In the first game, Montclair State scored all five of their runs in the first four innings, but Stockton scored nine unanswered runs through the rest of the game.
Game two treated Montclair State much better with a 14-5 win, including a seven-run top of the eighth. Game two also included six different players for Montclair State with two RBI. These games against Stockton were also Montclair State’s first games against a NJAC opponent.
Montclair State was supposed to play the University of Scranton on Tuesday, but due to the weather and the condition of Yogi Berra Stadium, the game had been postponed. The next games on Montclair State’s schedule include home-and-home games against William Paterson on Thursday, at home, and on Friday, in Wayne.
Montclair State also plays at home in a doubleheader against Rowan University on Saturday. Montclair State will then hit the road for three straight away games until April 13.
