WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University baseball team won both games of a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Central Connecticut State on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks topped the Blue Devils 8-4 in game one, and held on for a 4-3 decision in the second game. Monmouth, which won three of the four games in the series, improves to 26-14-1, 10-5 in the NEC. CCSU falls to 16-15 overall and 7-9 in the league.
In game one, the Hawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three frames, posting three runs in the first, as Rick Niederhaus (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) delivered a first-pitch RBI single, and MU posted two runs on a fielding error. Andy Meyers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) gave the Blue and White a 5-0 lead with his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second. MU collected a bases loaded walk by Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) for the 6-0 edge in the third.
CCSU pulled within 6-3 in the fourth, as Casey Walko and Matt Memoli delivered run-scoring hits, and John Romano drove in a run with a groundout.
MU pushed the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Mike Casale (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) collected an RBI single to leftfield, which plated Niederhaus.
The teams traded runs in the seventh inning, as Jak Kidd delivered an RBI single for the Blue Devils. The Hawks got the run back when Brett Holland (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) reached on an error and later scored on a Higgins' double.
Matt Coulson (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) earned the win for the Hawks, improving to 3-2 on the year, as the senior worked 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, while striking out six.
Kyle Breese (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) and Justin Esposito (Red Bank, N.J./Middeltown North) each worked a perfect frame to maintain the 8-4 cushion for the Hawks in the final two innings. Despite allowing one hit, Matt Frazier (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) stranded the bases loaded to end the seventh for the Hawks.
In game one, Higgins, Meyers and Chris Collazo (Wall, N.J./Wall) each had three hits, while Higgins, Meyers and Casale drove in two runs apiece.
In game two, Brett Brach (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) went the distance, while striking out five, en route to the win, as the Hawks held on for a 4-3 victory. Brach allowed two earned runs, on five hits. In the victory, Meyers drove in all four runs for the Blue and White.
Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh, the Blue Devils plated a run after Walko reached on an error to start the inning. Sean Salvatore drove in Walko with a two-out single, but the game ended as Memoli laced a line drive to Meyers at first base.
CCSU went ahead 1-0 in the first, as Salvatore led off with a single down the left field line and came around on Adam Taha's single. Higgins answered with a single of his own just inside the third base bag to start the home half of the first, and later came around to knot the score at 1-1, on Meyers' single.
Monmouth plated two in the second to snare a 3-1 advantage, as the Hawks loaded the bases with two outs, which culminated in Meyers delivering a two-run single up the middle. The Hawks made it 4-1 in the fourth when Meyers lifted a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Devils trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning when Memoli drove in Salvatore with two out.
Evan Scribner (3-4) was saddled with the loss, going 6.0 frames, allowing four runs on three hits, while punching out seven Hawks.
Meyers finished the day with five hits and six RBI, with two defensive gems for the Hawks.
Monmouth returns to action on Friday, as the Hawks travel to Quinnipiac for an NEC series. Game one starts at 3 p.m.
