WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University baseball team defeated St. Peter's, 10-4, on Wednesday afternoon, in non-conference action. Leading 5-4 going into the home half of the eighth, the Hawks posted five runs in the frame, en route to the victory. With the win, Monmouth improves to 19-11-1 on the season, while the Peacocks fall to 17-17.

St. Peter's tallied a run in the third inning off reliever Matt Coulson (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) to take a 1-0 lead, but the Hawks netted two scores in the fourth to corral the edge. In the fourth, John Elia (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley) laced a one-out double and scored on a Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) single. Higgins later scored on Kyle Messineo's (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) single.

The Hawks made the score 5-1 in the fifth, as Brett Holland (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) delivered an RBI single and the Blue and White plated two runs on a throwing error by the third baseman.

SPC trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the seventh inning, plating two runs off freshman Matt Frazier (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park), as both runs crossed home Wayne Guarino's single to centerfield.

The Peacocks pulled within 5-4 in the top of the eighth, before Justin Esposito (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown North) entered with two runners on and recorded two straight outs.

The Hawks tallied five runs in the eighth off reliever Kevin Kallert, who allowed five runs on five hits in the inning. Higgins led off the inning with a single and scored, while Andy Meyers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling), Chris Collazo (Wall, N.J./Wall), Justin Braun (Stony Brook, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) and Shawn Teters (Springdale, Ark./Springdale) each delivered run-scoring hits.

Freshman Nick Vallillo (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) got the start for the Hawks and went 1.0 inning, surrendering a walk. Freshman Kyle Breese (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) (2-3) earned the win for Monmouth, working 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Junior John Dennis (Union, N.J./Union) tossed 1.0 scoreless inning of middle relief with one strikeout in his pitching debut, while Esposito picked up his fourth save of the year, working the final 1.2 frames, with three strikeouts.

Meyers and Collazo each collected three hits for the Blue and White, who stranded 11 base runners. Higgins and Messineo had two hits apiece.

Monmouth returns to action on Friday, when the Hawks take on Fairleigh Dickinson in Northeast Conference play at 3 p.m., the first game of a four-game series.