Little Falls, NJ:  Montclair State junior third baseman Stephen Piscitello (Hauppague, NY) drove in four runs in the opener while Ramapo freshman righthander Jack McDonough (Cranford, NJ) tossed a complete-game in the nightcap as the Red Hawks and Roadrunners split a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at Yogi Berra Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Montclair (10-9, 4-2 NJAC) won the first game 15-9 before Ramapo (12-11, 1-5 NJAC) gained a split with a 4-1 triumph.

In the opener, MSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first as Rob Bowness (Sparta, NJ) smacked a two-run-double to centerfield to drive in Michael Nunes (Hazlet, NJ) and Lou Politan (Livingston, NJ). Piscitello brought home Jeff Miller (Wyckoff, NJ) with a ground out and Bowness scored on a wild pitch for the final run.

Montclair added two more in the second as Andrew Himmelfarb (Nyack, NY) belted a solo home run, his first career round tripper, and Nunes scored during rundown as the Red Hawks went up 6-0. Ramapo would get three back in the top of the fourth taking advantage of two MSU miscues. John Callandrello brought home a run with a fielder's choice and Skyler Conte (Kinnelon, NJ) added an RBI double as the lead was trimmed to 6-3.

The Red Hawks responded with five runs in their half of the fourth. Politan singled in one run and Miller cleared the bases with a double as Montclair moved in front 10-3. Piscitello added the final run on a ground out. Ramapo did not go away however as the Roadrunners scored three time in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Peter Sita (Bayonne, NJ) drove in two with a base hit as Ramapo crept within 11-6.

But Piscitello's two-run single in the sixth helped Montclair extend its lead back to 14-6 and despite three runs by the Roadrunners in the seventh, Montclair closed out the game with the 15-9 victory.

Freshman righthander Lou Cautero (Succasunna, NJ) picked up the victory in relief as he earned his first collegiate decision (1-0). Cautero went 1 2/3 innings allowing three hits and three runs with a strikeout before Michael Streaman (Westfield, NJ) and D.J. Cunningham (Florham Park, NJ) combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Junior Dan Mulligan (Wilmington, DE) took the loss to fall to 2-2.

Politan finished 3-for-3 for Montclair State while Nunes (2-for-3, three runs), Miller (2-for-2, three runs) and Bowness each collected two hits. Joey Cacchiola (Union, NJ), Callandrello, Sita, Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY) and Mike Manges (Glen Rock, NJ) all had two hits apiece for the Roadrunners.

The second game did not provide the offense the first did, but instead became a tight pitcher's duel as McDonough moved to 4-1 with his second complete game of the season. The righty allowed seven hits, fanned nine and walked two as he maneuvered out of several tricky spots in his 152-pitch performance (101 for strikes).

Ramapo would get on the board in the second inning as Aaron Drury (Canton, MI) doubled with two out and scored on Gino Gallagher's (Cedar Grove, NJ) single up the middle. The Roadrunners added another run in the fourth on Gallagher's sacrifice fly.

That lead would appear to be enough for McDonough, who allowed a runner to third in the third inning with one out only to get a pair of pop ups to end the inning. After Ramapo had taken a 2-0 lead, McDonough surrendered a leadoff double, but fanned the side to keep MSU off the scoreboard.

Montclair State would scratch out a run in the sixth as Miller led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and third on a ground out before coming home on a flared base hit to left field by Himmelfarb. In the eighth, Montclair threatened with the tying run at second as Miller singled with one out and went to second on a wild pitch. A walk to Bowness gave the Red Hawks the go-ahead run at first, but McDonough induced a pop up and fanned the next batter to end the threat.

In the ninth, Shaun Hanrahan (West Keansburg, NJ) gave the Roadrunners some breathing room as he cracked a two-run homer just inside the left field foul pole for his second of the season and a 4-1 Ramapo lead.

Senior righthander Tim Stringer (Annandale, NJ) took the loss to fall to 1-3. Stringer went 6 1/3 innings allowing six hits and two runs, striking out three and walking three.

Manges, Gallagher and Hanrahan each had two hits for Ramapo while Ed Kloepping (Pennsville, NJ) was 2-for-4 for the Red Hawks.

Montclair State returns to action on Tuesday, April 8 as the Red Hawks host DeSales University at Yogi Berra Stadium beginning at 3:30 pm. Ramapo takes on Lehman College on Monday, April 7 at 3:00 pm.