Montclair, NJ – Senior third baseman Joe Norton went 4-for-5 and freshman Michael Murphy drove in three runs as Montclair State jumped out to a double-digit lead early en route to a 15-8 victory over Kean University at Yogi Berra Stadium on Friday evening.
Miles Feaster and Jason Moore each had a pair of RBI as the Red Hawks (16-5, 8-4 NJAC) earned a split of its home-and-home series with the Cougars (12-9, 7-5 NJAC) and snapped a five-game losing streak to Kean winning for the first time since an 8-3 win in April 2017.
Josh Jackson drove in two runs for Kean.
Montclair put together three straight hits in the bottom of the first to score the game's first run as Peter Cosentino singled through the left side scoring Norton. Murphy added a sacrifice fly two batters later for a 2-0 lead.
The Red Hawks exploded in the second inning with eight runs as it sent 12 batters to the plate. Hayden Reyes delivered an RBI single and Eric Havner scored on an error making the score 4-0. Feaster singled in two more runs and a two-run base hit by Moore widened the lead to 8-0. Anthony Guarino delivered the next run with a hit, his second in the inning, and Moore came home on a wild pitch giving MSU a 10-0 advantage.
Kean got on the board in the fourth with three runs, however got those back plus two more in the fifth. Havner scored on an error and Norton doubled in Reyes for a nine-run lead. Murphy added to his day with a two-run single and an RBI by pinch-hitter Sam Angelo capped the inning as Montclair State led 15-3.
The Cougars crept back into the game and got within 15-8 in the eighth inning. Kean had the bases loaded with two outs, but reliever Chris Lum got a called third strike on a full-count pitch to end the threat.
Left-hander Brian Reiss (2-1) got the win in relief as he went 4 1/3 innings allowing nine hits and five runs. Left Kevin Stewart (1-1) took the loss.
Feaster, Cosentino, Angelo, Guarino, and Havner each had two hits as Montclair registered 18 in the game.
The Red Hawks return to action on Saturday, April 24 as it hosts New Jersey City University at Yogi Berra Stadium. It will be Senior Day for Montclair as the Red Hawks will celebrate their Class of 2021 before the 11:40 start of the NJAC doubleheader.