Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
In two well pitched games by all parties involved, the Blue Streaks were able to manage a hard-fought split in the Muskingum Invitational this afternoon in New Concord. John Carroll dropped the early game, 2-0, to Montclair State University before salvaging the day with a 6-2 win over the Fighting Muskies in a non-conference matchup.

In game one, junior pitcher Jimmy Spagna allowed only four base hits (none of them were hit well), but allowed two earned runs in seven-plus innings of work against the Red Hawks, who made the trip to Ohio this weekend from New Jersey. In the first inning, a texas-leaguer up the middle put leadoff man Jose Carlos Padilla aboard. He scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Scott Glozzy to give Montclair State a 1-0 lead.

JCU's best chance to tie the game came in the fifth inning when they had two runners on with one out, but senior Connor Marrero grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Red Hawks tallied their second and final run in the bottom of the sixth inning after Stephen Nappe rolled a single just past a diving Bobby Sabatino at second base into right field, scoring Tim Byron from third base.

Jonathan Torregroza tossed 7.2 innings for Montclair State and scattered only six JCU hits while striking out four. The Blue Streaks had base runners in all but two innings, but they couldn't produce the timely hitting to topple the Red Hawks, who lost 18-1 to Marietta on Friday.

In game two, the Blue Streaks gave Anthony Libertini a lead before he even took the hill. Freshman centerfielder Rob Cifelli got the nod for his second career start and he scored on sophomore David Lykens' double to right field.

The Blue and Gold made it 2-0 on Lykens' RBI single to right-center field. The Muskies got two runs back by the time the fourth inning came to a close. But from there on out, sophomore Anthony Libertini, junior Billy Turosky and freshman Zach Verner were outstanding. The trio of pitchers allowed only three baserunners the rest of the game (two walks and an infield single).

Turosky came in to relieve Libertini with two outs and the go-ahead run on third (Connor reached via one of the aforementioned walks). On the second pitch to Brett Roberts, Roberts drilled a line drive right at sophomore shortstop Mark Huddle to end the threat.

In the top of the seventh inning, Ryan Konsler led things off with a single to centerfield. With two outs and Konsler at second, Marrero delivered again for the Blue Streaks with a base hit to left field, giving John Carroll a 3-2 lead. But the Blue Streaks bats, which were hitless for a 10-batter stretch in the middle of the game, weren't quite done yet.

With one out in the eighth, junior Mitch Herringshaw lined a home run over the left field wall - his first homer of the campaign. After Lykens reached safely on second baseman Will Simpson's third error of the game, Spagna blasted a fastball over the left field wall for a two-run bomb. The home run was a carbon copy of Herringshaw's and gave JCU a 6-2 lead. It was Spagna's second home run of the season.

Verner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and the Blue Streaks knocked off Muskingum for the second time this season, both in non-OAC competition.

JCU (11-5) will travel to Capital on Friday to take on the Crusaders in their OAC opener. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM. The game that was scheduled against Ohio Wesleyan for Sunday, March 24th has been postponed and a make-up date has yet to be announced.