WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University baseball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Sacred Heart on Saturday, winning the first game 10-4 and dropping the second contest 10-3. MU is now 20-18 overall on the season and 9-6 in the NEC, while the Pioneers move to 17-21-1 and 8-6 in the league.
After Sacred Heart scored the afternoon's first run in the first inning of the day's opener, Monmouth leadoff batter Dave Jacob tied the game in the bottom of the frame when he drove a 1-2 offering the other way over the right field fence for his second homer of the season. The Pioneers regained the advantage at 3-1 in the top of the second, only for the Hawks to again draw even when catcher Bobby Dombrowski drilled a two-run home run over the left field fence, scoring Chris Collazo who led off the frame with a single.
Ryan Terry broke the 3-3 tie in the second when he drilled a two-out, three-run shot over the left field fence, plating Josh Boyd and Jacob. With MU up 6-3 in the top of the fourth, senior third baseman Mike Casale supplied defensive support for starter Ryan Buch with a pair of diving stops for two of the frame's outs.
The Hawks tacked on four insurance runs in the sixth inning on run-scoring hits from Terry, Brett Holland and Rick Niederhaus.
Buch collected the win in the first game, improving his season record to 5-3. He went 6.2 innings, scattering nine hits and giving up four runs, two of which were earned. He struck out six and walked three before giving way to senior Tim Ballard, who threw one pitch to record the final out.
Terry went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored to pace the offense. Dombrowski went 2-for-3 with two runs driven and two runs scored for MU, while Jacob both drove in and scored a pair of runs each. Eight of Monmouth's starters had at least one hit in the game.
In the second game, Sacred Heart took control with four runs in the fourth inning. The Pioneers pounded out 16 hits in the second game en route to the 10-3 win. SHU starter Jared Balbach pitched a complete game four-hitter, striking out six and walking only one.
Nick Meyers took the loss for Monmouth on the mound, equaling his season record at 1-1. He gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs in 3.2 innings, striking out three and walking one. Ballard come on to pitch the final 3.1 innings, surrendering five hits and three earned runs. He struck out two and did not walk a batter in the second game.
MU was able to get a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth after Cal Costanzo tripled home Casale to score the Blue and White's first run of the game. Costanzo then scored on a balk for Monmouth's second tally of the afternoon.
Paul Bottigliero concluded the afternoon's scoring when he lifted his 10th home run of the season over the right centerfield fence just out of the reach of SHU's Steve Tedesco.
The Hawks and Pioneers conclude their weekend series tomorrow when they square off at 12:00 pm.
