WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University baseball team set a new school-record for wins, while rallying from deficits of 6-0 and 10-3, to earn a 17-10 victory over Sacred Heart in Northeast Conference action on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks, who registered a season-best 20 hits, improve to 31-18-1 overall and 15-8 in the NEC.
Monmouth swept all four games of the NEC series from the Pioneers, as the Hawks have now won eight of 11 series of three games or more this season, while tying one.
Sophomore Tim Ballard (Parlin, N.J./Sayreville) worked a career-high 5.1 innings of scoreless ball, with four strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win for the Blue and White, while four different Hawks drove in three runs in the victory.
Trailing 6-0 in the third, as the Pioneers touched up Monmouth starter Matt Coulson (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) for six runs on eight hits, the Hawks pulled within 6-3, scoring three, two-out runs. The Hawks loaded the bases after John Dennis (Union, N.J./Union) and Kyle Higgins (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills) each singled and Kyle Messineo (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) was hit by a pitch. Andy Meyers (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) then delivered a two-run single through the right side, followed by Rick Niederhaus' (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) RBI single.
The Pioneers reclaimed a 10-3 edge after a four-run fourth, in which they posted four scores off reliever Kyle Breese (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick).
Trailing 10-3, the Hawks matched SHU's four-run fourth inning with four scores in the home half of the frame. Shawn Teters (Springdale, Ark./Springdale) led off with a walk and scored on Chris Collazo's (Wall, N.J./Wall) double to left center. Sophomore Mike Casale (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) then connected on his fourth home run of the season, a two-run, first-pitch homer down the leftfield line, making the score 10-6. The Hawks loaded the bases again in the inning, and tallied a run when Meyers drew a bases loaded walk, to pull the Blue and White within 10-7.
Monmouth's six-run fifth inning, in which the Hawks belted seven hits, put MU ahead for good in the contest. With two on and no out to start the inning, Casale delivered an RBI single, pulling MU within two scores. After Brett Holland's (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) bunt attempt found empty space to load the bases again, Dennis connected on an RBI single, which was followed by Higgins' two-run single, putting the Hawks ahead 11-10. Niederhaus added an RBI single and Messineo crossed home on a wild pitch to finish the rally, and put the Hawks on top 13-10.
The Blue and White tacked on three runs in the seventh inning, as Teters and Collazo registered RBI singles with two outs. The Hawks managed the three unearned runs due to a dropped pop-up to second base, which would have ended the inning.
Holland led off the eighth with a double down the leftfield line and came around on a Higgins single, to make the score 17-10, in favor of the Hawks.
Collazo went 4-for-5 with three RBI to pace the Hawks, while Higgins and Dennis each collected three hits. Meyers, Niederhaus, Teters, Casale and Holland each had mult-hit games, well. Messineo, who scored twice and collected his 35th stolen base on the season, was the only Hawk starter to not register a base hit.
Ballard scattered three hits over 5.1 innings in the win, while Chris Howard (6-7), SHU's game one starter, was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs in a third of an inning.
Sacred Heart collected 15 hits, led by catcher Jamie Morales, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Jeff Hanson connected on his sixth home run of the season in SHU's four-run third inning, a three-run homer to left.
Monmouth returns to action on Tuesday, May 15 when the Hawks face Seton Hall, whom they defeated earlier this year, in non-conference action in South Orange. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
