WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? Monmouth posted a doubleheader sweep over visiting Long Island in Northeast Conference action on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks registered a 7-4 victory in the opener, and scored its first five runs with two outs, in an 8-5 win in game two.
With the sweep, Monmouth improved its record at 14-12 and 3-1 in the league, while LIU falls to 5-20 overall and 1-3 in the NEC.
A Nick Pulsonetti two-run triple to right centerfield, in the bottom of the first, pushed Monmouth in front 2-0, in game one. Pulsonetti's first triple of the season drove in both Chris Collazo and Ryan Terry for the Hawks. Monmouth notched a third score when Paul Bottigliero, on base on a free pass, broke for second, and Pulsonetti crossed the plate.
The Hawks increased the lead to 4-0 in the second inning, as Bobby Dombrowski doubled to center, and on a Josh Boyd sacrifice bunt, Dombrowski scored on a throwing error charged to the pitcher. Terry's single through the left side, with the infield drawn in, inflated the edge to 5-0, and Pulsonetti's sacrifice fly drove in Brett Holland, for a 6-0 advantage.
A lead-off walk in the sixth frame to James Jones led to an LIU run, while Derek Stupski's RBI double and Gerard Tingos' two-run single through left side, pulled LIU within 6-4. Monmouth's Steve Sanguiliano ended the threat with a double play on his first pitch.
Monmouth pushed the lead to 7-4 in the home half of the sixth, when Collazo delivered a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield, knocking in Boyd.
Breese (3-2), in his team-leading seventh start of the year, worked 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits, to earn the victory. Sanguiliano, who recorded the final five outs for the Hawks, picked up his second save of the season.
Monmouth scored first in game two, as Mike Casale's two-out single up the middle drove in Rick Niederhaus, for a 1-0 lead.
LIU knotted the score in the top of the third when Jones connected on a two-out, solo home run to right, off Monmouth starter Brett Brach.
Monmouth regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning, when Pulsonetti drilled a two-out, two-run homer to left, pushing the lead to 3-1.
The Hawks tacked on a pair of two-out runs in the fourth frame on Holland's double to right field off of LIU starter Couri Benz. Prior to Holland's fifth double of the season, Casale was on base after being hit by a pitch and Boyd singled.
A pair of hit batsmen preceded Bottigliero's RBI single through the left side in the fifth, which pushed the Hawks' advantage to 6-1.
The Blackbirds cut the lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth, when defensive replacement Andrew Walsh laced a two-run double to right center.
Dombrowski led off the sixth with a double and crossed the plate on Boyd's sac bunt, which was coupled with an LIU error, as Monmouth went ahead 7-3. After Boyd stole third, Collazo's groundout drove in the centerfielder, inflating the score to 8-3.
A pair of Monmouth errors in the top of the seventh led to two LIU runs, as the Blackbirds cut the advantage to 8-5, before Boyd's diving catch in short center with a runner on second, ended the threat.
Brach improved his record to 3-0 on the year, as the righty worked 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, with four strikeouts. Nick McNamara picked up his third save, tossing the final three frames, surrendering two unearned runs, with four strikeouts. The duo issued zero walks in the contest as well.
Monmouth returns to action on Tuesday, when the Hawks travel to Lafayette for a non-conference contest in Easton, Pennsylvania. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
