TEANECK, N.J. ? The Monmouth University baseball team surrendered a program-high 26 runs in game one in a loss, but rallied to post an 8-6 victory in the nightcap, in a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Fairleigh Dickinson University. With the split, Monmouth improves to 15-14 overall and 4-2 in the NEC. FDU also improves to 4-2 in the league.
FDU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning when Brian Dillon delivered an RBI single through the right side, and a walk issued by Nick Vallillo with the bases loaded, pushed the edge to 2-0. With two out, Scott Morrison connected on a two-run double to left, but the Hawks' trio of Brett Holland, Ryan Terry and Bobby Dombrowski teamed to cut down a fifth run at the plate.
The Knights, who batted around in the second, inflated their lead to 10-0, collecting six runs on six hits. After a lead-off walk and single to start the second, the Knights went ahead 5-0 on Matt Maher's single, and inflated the lead to 7-0 when Zach Sand doubled to left center.
Monmouth, which had not surrendered double-digit runs since March 10 at Florida Atlantic, fell behind 10-0, when Mark Morton delivered a three-run homer to center off reliever Joe Loiodice.
Behind a pair of two-run home runs from Bobby Dombrowski and Ryan Terry, Monmouth trimmed the lead to 10-4 in the fifth, before Chris Collazo's RBI double pulled the Hawks within 10-5. With two runners in scoring position, Paul Bottigliero's sacrifice fly cut the lead to four runs, and as the Hawks batted around, Mike Casale reached on a fielding error which allowed Collazo to cross the plate and make the score 10-7.
The Knights, who scored 14 runs in the home half of the fifth, notched the next 16 runs to take a 26-7 lead.
Bottigliero's solo home run in the eighth, and David Jacob's score and Tim McEndy's RBI double in the ninth, accounted for the 26-10 final.
Reserve infielder Anthony Lawrence pitched the final two frames for the Hawks, allowing zero runs on one hit.
The Hawks got on the scoreboard first in game two, when Rick Niederhaus connected on an RBI single up the middle, which drove in Ryan Terry, who doubled with one out.
FDU knotted the score in the second when Mark Morton led off the frame with a solo home run down the left field line.
Monmouth tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the third when Terry delivered and RBI double and Niederhaus made the score 3-1 with a sacrifice fly, but Matt Maher's two-run triple tied the score once again at 3-3.
A Collazo sac fly and Mike Casale's RBI double pushed Monmouth back in front 5-3 in the top of the fifth, but the Knights tied the score in the home half of the fifth, as a single and fielder's choice ground out knotted the score at 5-5.
A throwing error on a double steal attempt by the Hawks allowed a run to score in the sixth, giving Monmouth a 6-5 lead, but Erik Pollag's solo homer tied the score once again.
The Hawks won the contest in the top of the seventh when Casale delivered a one-out double and came around on Bobby Dombrowski's single up the middle. Terry's run-scoring single up the middle pushed the Hawks ahead 8-6.
Steve Sanguiliano, who pitched a perfect seventh for the Hawks, picked up the win for the Hawks.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow, when the Hawks are scheduled to face FDU once again in a Northeast Conference doubleheader, at 11 a.m.
