Ryan Long prepares to swing at a pitch. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Photo Courtesy of Montclair Athletics.
The Montclair State baseball team started its season off with a 3-9 record after playing games in North Carolina and Florida over the past two weeks.
The Red Hawks started the season in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where they played games against Ferrum College and Frostburg State University on Feb. 24 and 25. In the first game, Montclair State made its first game of the season very interesting, as the team climbed out of a 9-1 rut by scoring eight runs in the top of the eighth before giving up two runs to Ferrum College and losing 11-9.
The Red Hawks played Ferrum College a second time before facing off against Frostburg State, but the team dropped both games to start the season at 0-3. Again, against Ferrum College, Montclair fought back from behind. They tied the game after a four-run deficit, but Ferrum College scored four runs in the last three innings to win the game.
Montclair State later fell to Frostburg State 11-3. The Red Hawks started the scoring with a two-run top of the first in a game where Frostburg State answered back in the bottom of the second and third inning to take the lead and the eventual win.
While North Carolina might not have been so nice for Montclair State, Florida treated them a little bit better during the RussMatt Invitational. Montclair State won three games and lost six games, including an eleventh-inning win over Muskingum University, a three-hit shut-out over Coe College, and a 20-run game against Fredonia.
Montclair State’s first win of the season, a 3-2 victory against Muskingum University, came off the bat of Ryan Thieme when he hit a sacrifice fly to score the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh.
The Red Hawks later played in a doubleheader against Coe College, dropping the first game 16-13. The team knocked 21 hits and gave up seven runs to Coe in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second game, Connor Linsday threw a three-hit gem in a 4-0 win. Linsday had 11 strikeouts while collecting his first win of the season.
Montclair State lost its next two games against Grove City and Concordia University, each by one run. Grove City grabbed the lead in the top of the ninth to defeat Montclair State 3-2. The Red Hawks had their comeback cut short as they lost to Concordia 5-4.
Montclair State’s offense was unstoppable against Fredonia, as the Red Hawks busted out 20 runs in a 20-3 victory. Philip Scott, who hit two triples, and Chris Roth, who had a grand slam and a triple, both ended the game with five RBI.
Montclair State then lost three straight games: two in a doubleheader against SUNY Oswego and one against Suffolk University to close out the RussMatt Invitational.
The team was scheduled to play their long-awaited home opener on Thursday, March 16 against Baruch College, but because of the recent snowstorm in the area, the game has been postponed.
The doubleheader on Saturday against Oneonta State University of New York has also been postponed. No makeup dates have been announced. The next game would be on Monday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. against Neumann University at Yogi Berra Stadium.
