MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Red Hawks’ seven-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night against Stevens Institute of Technology by a final score of 9-8. Junior pitcher Evan Wood got the start for MSU. He lasted an inning and two-thirds, giving up six hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts.
After going down three runs, Montclair shortened the deficit quickly with an RBI single from freshman infielder Chris Gonzalo in the second inning to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
The Red Hawks followed this up with another RBI single in the fifth inning from junior catcher Zach Stearns to make it a one-run game.
The Red Hawks continued to build off their momentum in the fifth; taking the lead off of a three-run home run from junior utility player Chase Fischer, giving Montclair a 5-3 lead. They would add two insurance runs over the next two innings, but it would not be enough as the Ducks rallied in the ninth inning, down to their final out.
Senior first baseman Victor Schilleci hit a three-run home run to give Stevens the lead, and they would never give it up again, with sophomore pitcher David Finch getting the save.
The Red Hawks’ overall record against Stevens now stands at 5-6, dating back to 2015. After the game, Montclair State University head coach Dave Lorber gave his thoughts on the team’s overall performance.
“We’ve gotta do a better job limiting a team that’s hitting .270 as a group,” Lorber said. “They had 17 hits, credit to Stevens for basically outplaying us offensively today.”
The Red Hawks are 11-4 overall this season. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
Chase Fischer, who was named NJAC player of the week on Tuesday, also gave his thoughts on the team’s performance as a whole.
“I think today we did well, just kind of struggled a little bit with the little things,” Fischer said. “We’re coming off of a hot streak, and we’ll restart.”
The restart for the Red Hawks will start with a doubleheader against Ramapo College of New Jersey on Saturday, the first NJAC matchup of the year. As for what that restart will look like, both Coach Lorber and Fischer gave their thoughts.
Red Hawks will play a doubleheader against Ramapo College of New Jersey on Saturday, the first NJAC matchup of the year. | Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“You’ve gotta be able to kind of use this as a little bit of a springboard. That was almost just like a conference game,” Lorber said. “[There was] a lot of back and forth, a lot of action, some good arms they faced, so this was kind of a really good thing for us to go through right before conference [games], so when we get there, you’re not shocked by it. So overall, I think it’s a perfect moment for us to go through a game like that.”
“The message to the team [is] keep doing what we’re doing, find a way to win. That’s what we’ve been doing,” Fischer said.
The Red Hawks are no strangers to close games, with five out of their last seven wins being within a two-run margin. Conversely, Ramapo is in the midst of a five-game winning streak, with three out of those five games being won by five runs or more. They are 11-4 overall this season and 3-1 on the road. The Red Hawks are 14-7 and 11-2 at home. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the second at 2:30 p.m., with both games taking place at Yogi Berra Stadium.
