JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Montclair State University and New Jersey City University played an old fashioned nine-inning pitcher's duel on Friday afternoon as each team's starting pitcher threw a complete game effort before the No. 23 ranked Red Hawks edged NJCU, 3-2, in the back end of a two-day home-and-home New Jersey Athletic Conference series, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex. Montclair won despite leaving 15 men stranded on base.
MSU senior left-hander Sean Hille (Edison, NJ/St. Joseph's Metuchen) earned his NJAC-leading eighth win of the season (8-3), tossing his fourth complete game of the season while drawing a decision for the 11th time in 12 starts. Over 114 pitches he struck out nine and walked none, while allowing two unearned runs and four hits (three singles), with 13 groundouts and five fly outs. Hille preserved the one-run victory by retiring the final 10 NJCU batters in order.
NJCU senior righty NELSON MALDONADO (Newark, NJ/St. Mary's (Jersey City)), who along with graduating junior third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) was honored in a pre-game Senior Day ceremony, suffered the loss (1-6) on a day where he pitched well enough to win. In a 149-pitch complete-game effort—his third of the season and seven of his career, Maldonado allowed just one earned run (three total) and seven hits, all of which were singles. He struck out seven to increase his second-place career total to 145 while walking six and hitting three batters. It was the seventh time in his career Maldonado has fanned seven or more batters in a game and the seven were a season high. He struck out eight last year in a 15-3 win over Montclair.
Montclair (25-12, 13-3 NJAC), ranked No. 23 in Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and receiving votes by D3baseball.com, equivalent to a No. 26 ranking, remained in first place in the league by two points (26) over Kean University (24), which defeated Ramapo, 10-3, on Friday. With two games remaining on the conference regular season slate, Montclair has clinched no worse than the No. 2 seed in the league tournament. NJCU (12-25, 1-15 NJAC) dropped its seventh in a row and lost the season series to MSU after falling yesterday in Little Falls, 5-2. NJCU falls to 3-5 in one-run games this season.