GREENVILLE, N.C. ? Monmouth dropped a 5-1 decision at No. 27 East Carolina in collegiate baseball action, at Clark-LeClair Stadium, on Saturday afternoon.
After Monmouth starter Ryan Buch pitched a perfect first frame, the Pirates touched up the junior for three scores in the bottom of the second. Batting behind a one-out walk, Drew Schieber connected on a two-run home run to right, and Jared Avchen's two-out double made the score 3-0.
In the third inning, Stephen Batts reached on a throwing error and advanced to second, before Brandon Henderson's RBI single, made the score 4-0.
The Hawks trimmed the lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning as Nick Pulsonetti led off the frame with a single to left. After Rick Niederhaus was hit by a pitch, Chris Collazo's sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Bobby Dombrowski followed with an RBI groundout to second, driving in Pulsonetti.
Three consecutive singles, capped by Kyle Roller's RBI hit, pushed the lead to 5-1 in the seventh.
Buch (0-1) surrendered four runs on three hits, with three walks, in his three innings of work for Monmouth. Nick McNamara, making his collegiate debut, worked three scoreless frames, allowing two hits. Freshman Jonathan Shippee worked two-thirds of an inning, while Steve Sanguiliano, who started at short for the Hawks, closed out the contest, tossing 1.1 shutout innings.
Monmouth faces East Carolina in the final game of the series on Sunday, when sophomore John McDonald is set to take the mound for the Hawks. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
