ANNAPOLIS, MD. ? After Monmouth's two-run eighth inning tied the score at 4-4, the Hawks capitalized on a UMass error in the ninth to capture a 5-4 victory on Saturday. Monmouth's second straight win improves its record to 3-6 on the season, as the Blue and White collected double-digits hits for the sixth straight game.

Senior Tim Ballard (1-2), who worked 2.2 scoreless innings, picked up the win for the Hawks, while sophomore Nick McNamara earned his second save of the year, after working a shutdown ninth.

UMass loaded the bases in the fourth frame and took a 2-0 lead on Garrett Glashoff's two-out single up the middle off Monmouth starter Ryan Buch.

Monmouth trimmed the lead in half in the top of the fifth, as three consecutive one-out singles by Rick Niederhaus, Mike Casale and Jamie Rosenkranz, loaded the bases. Bobby Dombrowski then cut the edge to 2-1 with his sacrifice fly to centerfield. Still in the fifth, Josh Boyd's double to left center on a full count, drove in Casale, which knotted the score at 2-2.

The Minutemen retook a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Austin Weymouth drew a one-out walk, went first-to-third on a single, and crossed the plate on Mike Donato?s groundout.

UMass pushed its lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning, when Matt Gedman's single to left, drove in Sam Boone, who led off the frame with a single.

Monmouth rallied with two runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the score, as Boyd and Holland started the frame with singles. During a double-steal attempt, Boyd came around to score on a throwing error by the catcher, while advanced to third. With two out, Paul Bottigliero's double down the rightfield line, drove in Holland and pulled the Hawks even at 4-4.

With one down in the ninth, Jamie Rosenkranz singled through the left side and was joined on the bags by Dombrowski after he was hit by a pitch. In the next at-bat, Cal Costanzo lifted a pinch-hit fly ball to center, and on the play Rosenkranz advanced to third and then home with the game-winning run, on a throwing error.

Despite allowing two baserunners in the bottom of the ninth, on a single and a hit-by-pitch, McNamara picked up his second save of the season, as he held the Minutemen scoreless.

The Monmouth staff, who surrendered zero extra-base hits in the game, allowed 12 hits, while posting seven strikeouts. Buch, who worked 5.1 innings in his start, allowed four runs on eight hits, while striking out five.

The Blue and White collected 11 hits, including two-hit days from Niederhaus, Casale, Rosenkranz and Boyd, as the Hawks' 5-through-9 hitters combined to go 8-for-17, with four runs scored.

Monmouth will play two games on Sunday, as the Hawks are set to face UMass at 11 a.m. (Nick Vallillo), and Navy (Nick Meyers) at 2:30 p.m.