Little Falls, NJ (4/18/11) – Sophomore designated hitter Bryan Marotta (Clifton Park, NY / Shenendehowa) muscled a solo homer with one out in the top of the 12th inning for the game-winning run as Oneonta State won its fourth straight slipping past Montclair State 4-3 at Yogi Berra Stadium on Monday afternoon.
Freshman second baseman Jake Robinson (East Norwich, NY / Oyster Bay) tied the game in the top of the ninth with a one-out RBI single as the Red Dragons posted a one-run win for the second consecutive day improving to 19-8 overall. Oneonta edged Keystone, 3-2 on Sunday.
Senior second baseman Andrew Himmelfarb (Upper Nyack, NY / Nyack) homered and went 3-for-5 for Montclair State, which conversely dropped its second straight one-run affair. The Red Hawks, who lost to Rowan 3-2 in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, fell to 13-11 on the season with the loss.
On the 30th anniversary of the longest professional game played, the Red Hawks and Red Dragons played a little homage to the 1981 contest between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings that went 33 innings and was won by Pawtucket, 3-2.
The Red Dragons were down to their final three outs in the ninth however Cody Hitt (Boonville, NY / Adirondack) reached on an error and was sacrificed to second. Robinson then lined a single to center knotting the game at 3-3.
Each team would get chances leaving runners on base in the 10th and 11 innings. Montclair State got a leadoff single from Jason Chesterman (Bloomfield, NJ / Bloomfield) to open the bottom of the 10th but failed on a sacrifice attempt. Lou Martini (Flemington, NJ / North Hunterdon) was hit by a pitch putting runners on first and second. Red Dragon reliever Chris Tyson (Niskayuna, NY / Niskayuna) though got out of the inning with a fly out and strikeout as the game headed into the 12th.
Montclair righthander Jake Campbell (Sayreville, NJ / Sayreville) fanned the first hitter in the inning and then went 0-2 on Marotta before the right-handed batter connected on an inside pitch that cleared the wall in left field as Oneonta took a 4-3 lead. It was Marotta's second home run of the season.
Tyson made that hold up as he retired the Red Hawks in order in the bottom of the inning for the win as he upped his record to 2-1. Tyson went the final four innings allowing two hits, striking out three. Campbell (0-1) took the loss after throwing 3 1/3 innings giving up three hits with two strikeouts.
Montclair State took a 1-0 lead in the fifth as Himmelfarb led off the inning with his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left field. MSU added a run in the seventh as Mickey McGraw (Morristown, NJ / Morristown) lined a two-out double scoring Himmelfarb for the two-run advantage.
After being held scoreless by Montclair starter Sean Hille (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's) the Red Dragons were finally able to break through in the top of the eighth. Michael DeCarr (Syracuse, NY / Westhill) singled in the first run and pinch-hitter Nate Jones' (Apalachin, NY / Seton Catholic) infield hit scored DeCarr as Oneonta tied the game at 2-2.
Montclair State would retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. Michael Boggi (Towaco, NJ / Montville) doubled off the left field wall with one out and Cody Pace (Milltown, NJ / Spotswood) tripled to give the Red Hawks the 3-2 lead. Oneonta then came up with two defensive plays to keep the game at a run.
First, DeCarr grabbed a ground ball down the line and was able to get Pace out on a rundown play for the second out. Then with a runner on second, Anthony Bowens (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) laced a liner to center field that Sean Fruscio (Latham, NY / Shaker) hauled in on an outstretched catch to end the inning.
Hille went 8.2 innings allowing nine hits and three runs (two earned) in the no-decision. He struck out eight and walked one. Ken Smith (Ossining, NY / Ossining) started for the Red Dragons and went five innings giving up a run and three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Marotta finished 2-for-4 at the plate while DeCarr led all players going 3-for-5.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday, April 19. Montclair State travels to Bethlehem, PA for a 4:00 pm matchup with Moravian College. Oneonta is home for a 1:00 pm doubleheader with St. John Fisher.