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BOYERTOWN, PA – #19 Montclair State University plated 13 runs in the first inning and slugged 18 hits to hold off and eliminate #14 Franklin & Marshall College 19-10 in the third round of the 2006 NCAA Baseball Mid-Atlantic Regional at Boyertown High School’s Bear Stadium. Montclair State (29-17-2) advances in the losers bracket to face the winner of the fourth-seed Gwynedd-Mercy College/seventh-seed Frostburg State University game at 7:00 p.m. on May 19. Following a four hour rain delay from the game’s anticipated starting time of 4:30 p.m., the Red Hawks jumped out to a commanding 13-0 lead in the top of the first inning on nine hits and two F&M fielding errors against starting pitcher Jeff Rowand (Jr., York, PA/Dallastown) and reliever Brad Andres (Fr., Belle Mead, NJ/Carroll). The Diplomats cut into the lead in the bottom of the first inning as Rob Stern (So., Franklin Lakes, NJ/Indian Hills) reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch before Pat O’Reilly (So., Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) grounded out to third base to drive in the run. Montclair State responded to retake a 13-run lead in the second inning as Danny Rodriguez singled to right field and moved to third on a bouncer back to reliever Robert Goman (So., Verona, NJ/Verona). Rob Bowness knocked in the run as he doubled to right field for a 14-1 lead. The margin grew to 16-1 in the top of the third inning as the Red Hawks tacked on a pair of runs on a two-RBI single up the middle by Rodriguez before Montclair plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 19-1 lead. Franklin & Marshall (29-11) continued to chip away at the margin as Milavsky doubled home Tom Miller (So., York, PA/Central York) and Gary Kruger (Sr., East Islip, NY/East Islip) doubled to drive in Miller and Stern to pull the Diplomats to within 15 runs. The Diplomats trimmed the margin to 19-8 in the bottom of the sixth as Jon Compitello (Sr., Yardley, PA/George School) singled home Corey Caruthers (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) and Andrew Hanson (So., Lansdale, PA/Germantown Academy) singled to load the bases for Milavsky. Milavsky knocked in two more runs as he doubled in Dan Hanecak (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Lancaster Catholic) and Compitello for a 19-6 deficit before Stern grounded out to knock in Hanson. In the eighth inning, Compitello reached on a throwing error and was replaced by pinch runner Jeff Lawrence (So., Hanover, NJ/Delone Catholic). Milavsky singled to center field to put runners on first and second with one out before both runners advanced a base on a balk by MSU reliever Brian Rocco. Stern ground out to drive in Milavsky and Kruger singled to left field to bring home O’Reilly for a 19-10 Red Hawks’ lead. The Diplomats had a chance to rally further in the bottom of the ninth inning as Caruthers walked and Hanecak singled down the right field line with one out. Caruthers moved to third and Lawrence reached first on a fielder’s choice as Hanecak was forced out at second base, but the F&M rally was cut short as Hanson ground a ball to third base to bring home Caruthers, but was called out at first base to end the game.
The loss concludes the Diplomats run at the NCAA Regional Tournament as the Diplomats knocked off Gwynedd-Mercy College 14-1 and fell to #1 The College of New Jersey 3-0 as the Diplomats improved to 3-6 all-time in NCAA Regional games as the 1995 team finished 2-2 and the 2005 team finished 0-2.
Rowand took the loss allowing seven runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning without recording an out, while MSU’s Jay Cook picked up the victory going seven inning with eight runs allowed on 11 hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts. At the plate, Milavsky finished three-for-four with three RBI and two runs scored, while Stern was one-for-two with two RBI and a run scored and Kruger went two-for-four with three RBI.
On the mound, the Franklin & Marshall College bullpen allowed
12 runs on 15 hits, including a stretch from the sixth inning
until the ninth in which hurlers Matt Ziegler (Fr., Swarthmore,
PA/Strath Haven) and Matt Metsch (Fr., East Brunswick, NJ/East
Brunswick) held the Red Hawks’ to one hit.
Overall, the game marked the most runs allowed by F&M since a 20-5 loss to Rutgers-Camden on March 31, 2005 at Caplan Field. Further, F&M fell to 3-5 in NCAA games and 1-2 all-time against Montclair State in baseball as the Diplomats and Red Hawks’ last met in the 1995 NCAA Regional at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey as Franklin & Marshall won the first meeting 9-8 and was eliminated 10-3 in the fourth round. The 2005 & 2006 Centennial Conference champions, Franklin & Marshall concludes the season 29-11, including 16-2 in Centennial Conference play, as the team recorded its third consecutive 20-win season (24-19 in 2004 and 25-16 in 2005).
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