EASTON, PA. ? Monmouth suffered a 5-4 setback in non-conference action at Lafayette on Wednesday afternoon.
Monmouth, which held a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning, had its three-game win streak snapped, dropping its record to 14-13 overall.
The Hawks notched single runs in the first and second frames, as Rick Niederhaus delivered an RBI single in the first, and freshman David Jacob launched his first career home run, a solo shot to left to start the second.
Monmouth pushed across a pair of runs in the sixth inning to go ahead 4-0, when Brett Holland and Ryan Terry each collected RBIs.
Lafayette matched Monmouth's two-run frame in the home half of the sixth, when Jeff Butler notched an RBI single and Matt Hall lifted a sacrifice fly.
The Leopards knotted the score in the eighth, when Butler and Hall each collected run-scoring hits once again.
Lafayette pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, as a lead-off walk eventually came around to score, on a base hit bunt.
Cal Costanzo, making the start behind the dish for the Hawks, went 3-for-3, while Chris Collazo and Terry each collected two hits.
Freshman Jonathan Shippee, making his first career start, worked 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while collecting four strikeouts and zero walks.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow when the Hawks take on Fairleigh Dickinson in Northeast Conference action. The Hawks and Knights are set to play a doubleheader on both Thursday and Friday, starting at noon.
