SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Monmouth University baseball team collected 14 hits, while freshman Matt Frazier (Whippany, N.J./Whippany) threw 5.1 innings of relief for his first collegiate win, as the Hawks posted an 11-8 victory at Wofford on Sunday afternoon, at Russell C. King Field. The Hawks improve to 6-5-1 overall, after taking two-of-three from the Terriers in the weekend series. Wofford falls to 16-6 overall.
In an offensive matchup which saw eight home runs hit, the Hawks out-hit the Terriers 14-9, while collecting back-to-back round-trippers in the fourth inning as Andy Meyers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) hit his second of the year, and Mike Casale (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) connected on his first career homer.
Monmouth went ahead 2-0 in the second inning when Kyle Messineo (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) and Chris Collazo (Wall, N.J./Wall) connected on consecutive doubles to open the frame. After Messineo scored on Collazo's double, Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Collazo.
Wofford knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second and took a 3-2 edge in the next inning, as two home runs led to the scoring.
The Hawks rebounded with three runs in the fourth to reclaim at 5-3 lead, as Meyers and Casale went back-to-back, but the Terriers matched Monmouth with three runs in the home half of the fourth, going ahead 6-5, and knocking out MU starter Brett Brach (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) in the process.
MU knotted the score at 6-6 in the fifth inning, when Messineo led off with a single up the middle and stole second base. After a groundout moved Messineo to third, Higgins delivered his second double of the game, tying the score.
The Hawks posted three more runs in the sixth frame and two in the seventh to claim an 11-6 advantage, as Messineo delivered a two-run double, Shawn Teters (Springdale, Ark./Springdale) registered a run-scoring single and Casale plated Higgins with a sacrifice bunt. Monmouth also took advantage of a Wofford error for a run.
Two Wofford solo home runs in the eighth inning accounted for the final score.
Brach, making his first career start, worked 3.2 innings, allowing six runs on five hits, while walking four. Frazier tossed the final 5.1 frames, surrendering two runs on four hits, while striking out three.
Higgins and Messineo each went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in the game, while Meyers also went 3-for-4, connecting on his 12th career home run.
Monmouth returns to action on Wednesday, March 21, when the Hawks host Iona College at 3:00 p.m., the Hawks first home game of the 2007 season.
