Baseball Drops Midweek Doubleheader to Montclair State

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- The Eastern Nazarene College baseball team suffered a pair of setbacks to Montclair State Wednesday at the Ripken Experience, falling 9-8 and

The Lions move to 5-5 on the season with the results while the Redhawks improve to 9-3 overall with the two wins.

Steven Pesce (Harrison, N.Y.) posted two RBIs, one base hit, and one run scored in game one. Anderson Jimenez (Lowell, Mass.), Hernhy Lara (Boston, Mass.), Shane McNamara (Londonderry, N.H.), and Luis Pina (Lynn, Mass.) all chipped in with one hit, one RBI, and one run scored in game one.

In the series opener, Montclair State edged Eastern Nazarene 9-8.

The Redhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Peter Cosentino launched a two-run homer to left field to knock in Ryan McKenna.

The Lions answered with a run in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 2-1. Pesce belted his team-leading third home run of the spring to lead off the inning.

Montclair State reclaimed a two-run edge, 3-1, with one run in the second frame. Miles Feaster laced a two-out triple to right field to drive in S Angelo from third base.

Eastern Nazarene posted a run in the second to narrow the gap to 3-2. Pina roped a base knock to the gap in left-centerfield to plate Frank Landeiro (Orlando, Fla.) from second.

The Redhawks chalked up two scores in the third to widen the margin to 5-2. Cosentino clobbered his second two-run homer of the game, driving in McKenna after a leadoff walk.

The Lions erupted for four runs in the home half of the fourth inning to snag a 6-5 advantage. Juan Jacobo Lopez (San Diego, Calif.) tagged up and motored home from third base as Pesce lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. McNamara followed with a base hit to score Pina from second. Kelvin Cortez (Corona, N.Y.) and McNamara crossed the dish on back-to-back wild pitches.

Eastern Nazarene tacked on a run in the fifth to double its lead to 7-5. Lara crushed a solo shot to notch his team-leading third homer.

Montclair State manufactured four runs in the top of the sixth frame to capture a 9-7 edge. Joe Norton singled to plate Jason Moore and Jorden Jurkiewicz singled to score Feaster. Michael Murphy followed with a base knock to drive in Cosentino and Norton.

The Lions pulled to within a run, 9-8, after scoring once in the bottom of the sixth. Jimenez launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot with two outs in the frame.

Jon Tessier (Coronado, Calif.) threw five innings in his first career start on the mound and finished with two strikeouts. Briley Seiter (Bellevue, Ky.) hurled two innings of relief and posted two strikeouts in his second relief appearance of the year.

In the nightcap, Montclair State powered past Eastern Nazarene 15-6.

Up next, the Lions wrap up their trip to the Palmetto State March 10 with a clash against Gwynedd Mercy.