WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth baseball team registered a 7-1 victory over Quinnipiac in the second game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader, on Saturday afternoon. Monmouth, which has had four straight games with double-digit hits, improved to 22-9 overall and 10-1 in the NEC.

The Hawks have now been victorious in 20 of their last 21 games, while Quinnipiac falls to 8-23 overall and 3-8 in league play.

Senior Matt Marc-Aurele (2-2) worked six innings for the Hawks, allowing just one unearned run and three hits, while striking out six batters.

Quinnipiac notched a run in the first inning without the benefit of a hit, as Bryn Doyle walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored when John Delaney reached on a fielding error.

Monmouth rallied for three runs in the bottom of the second to snag a 3-1 lead. With one out, Nick Pulsonetti reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, and advanced to second on the play. Chris Collazo then stepped in and laced a single up the middle, to knot the score. After Ryan Terry's sac bunt moved Collazo into scoring position, Brett Holland singled to right center, scoring Terry, and John Dennis followed with a first-pitch double to the left field gap, making the score 3-1.

The Blue and White batted around in the fourth inning, posting four runs on five hits, to take a 7-1 lead. With Terry on third, after he went first-to-third on an infield single, and Brett Holland on first, Kyle Higgins laced a double down the left field line to make the score 4-1. Shawn Teters then delivered a two-run single, followed by an RBI single from Meyers, to give Monmouth the six-run edge.

Sophomore Nick Vallillo worked a scoreless seventh frame for the Blue and White to preserve the win.

Monmouth collected 10 hits in the game, as Paul Bottigliero, Holland and Dennis each had two hits.

Monmouth returns to action on Sunday, when the Hawks face Quinnipiac in the final game of the NEC series, at noon.