NEWARK, N.J. ? Powered by Bobby Dombrowski's grand slam, and seven shutout innings from junior Brett Brach, Monmouth University posted a 13-0 victory over NJIT, on Friday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium.
The Hawks, who tied a season-high with 16 hits, posted their first shutout of the season, as Nick Pulsonetti and Rick Niederhaus each collected three hits.
Making his first start of the season, Brach (2-0) worked seven scoreless innings, while striking out a career-best nine batters. Brach allowed just three singles, all of which came in the first two innings, while the righty allowed just a lone walk in the final five frames of work.
Monmouth (8-10) went ahead 2-0 in the first inning when consecutive singles by Chris Collazo and Ryan Terry put runners on the corners, before both advanced on a wild pitch. Niederhaus' double to left put the Hawks ahead 2-0 as Terry came around on the play.
The Hawks posted a seven-run third frame, highlighted by catcher Dombrowski's
grand slam to left, which inflated the lead to 9-0. In the inning, Pulsonetti and Niederhaus each collected RBI singles, as seven different Hawks reached base.
The Hawks pushed the edge to 10-0 in the eighth, when David Jacob delivered a two-out triple to left center, and crossed the plate on Collazo's double.
The Blue and White notched three more runs, on four hits in the top of the ninth to claim a 13-0 advantage. In the frame, Mike Casale delivered an RBI groundout, and Tom Augustyniak registered a two-run single through the right side, the first hit and RBI of his career. Also in the inning, sophomore Anthony Lawrence collected his first career hit, a pinch-hit single, and recorded his first run scored.
Freshmen Stephen Prosapio and Jonathan Shippee each tossed a scoreless inning for Monmouth to close out the contest. Prosapio, in his first career appearance, worked a scoreless eighth with no hits, while Shippee struck out the side in the ninth, all swinging, to finish the game.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, March 28 when the Hawks face NJIT in game two of the three-game, non-conference series. First pitch at Riverfront Stadium is slated for 1 p.m., as junior Nick Vallillo takes the ball for the Hawks.
