The Montclair State Red Hawks lost both games of a doubleheader to Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT) Saturday afternoon at Bainton Field.
Game 1
Red Hawks Senior pitcher Brian Reiss (0-1) took the mound for the club and struggled in his season debut. Stevens jumped out fast, with junior Ben Tobio and freshman Evan Pravato lighting up the Red Hawks with hits early on to score five runs in the very first inning.
The Red Hawks called on freshman Jacob Dembin to try and clean up the mess and succeeded in conceding just two hits and a run to Stevens senior Brett Mendez. The Red Hawks responded with a single run in the next inning to make the score 6-1 going into the third.
After Dembin's task was complete, the Red Hawks sent senior Darren Gonzalez to pitch the third. Gonzalez did coasting until SIT's Ben Tobio and junior Michael Reyes hit consecutive doubles as Stevens extended their lead to 9-1 after three innings.
The game was over for the Red Hawks as the early deficit was too much to overcome. The Red Hawks tried to mount a comeback in the sixth inning led by junior Ryan Mckenna's triple, but it wasn't enough. The final result was a Stevens victory, 12-6.
Game 2
After a short intermission, the second game didn't make as much difference in the scoreboard as the first game.
Both teams exchanged single runs in the first inning, with SIT's Michael Reyes smacking an RBI double while Red Hawks sophomore Jorden Jurkiewicz responded with an RBI double of his own.
Red Hawks freshman Matt Pontari pitched well in his collegiate debut as he held Stevens to just two runs over the span of five innings. Going into the sixth inning, Pontari was substituted for junior Ben Levine as the ball started connecting with Stevens's bat.
Up 2-1 going into the sixth inning, SIT began a parade of six hits and five runs on Levine. Led by Michael Reyes and SIT senior Ryan Finegan, Stevens drove the lead up to 7-1 and put the nail in the coffin in the twin bill. Montclair State added a run in the following inning, but the lead was too much to overcome once again. Stevens went on to win 7-3 after the game was called after seven innings due to darkness.
What's Next For Montclair State and Stevens
The Montclair State Red Hawks (6-2) pack their bags and hit the road as they head south to take on Bridgewater State University (1-0) in Myrtle Beach, SC, on Tuesday afternoon. Stevens (7-3) will have a few days off as they will make a short trip on Friday evening to take on SUNY Old Westbury (0-3).
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