ANNAPOLIS, MD. - Behind a pair of senior-freshman pitching performances, the Monmouth University baseball team was victorious against both Iona and host Navy, at Max Bishop Stadium on Sunday. The Hawks (2-4) defeated Iona 8-1 in game one behind senior Nick Meyers and freshman Dan Smith's combined performance on the mound, and notched a 3-1 victory over Navy in the second game, as Kyle Breese and Pat Light teamed for the win.

In game one, Meyers and Smith combined to allow one run on five hits in the Hawks' 8-1 victory. Meyers worked 6.0 frames, surrendering the lone score, while scattering four hits with four strikeouts. Smith picked up his first career save, tossing 3.0 shutout innings, allowing one hit with three punchouts.

Monmouth, which pounded out 14 hits, was paced by Jamie Rosenkranz's three hits and three RBI, while Josh Boyd and Danny Avella each collected two hits.

The Hawks got on the board in the first inning when Rosenkranz tripled home Nick Pulsonetti who was on base via a double to center. MU went ahead 3-0 in the third on Rosenkranz's first homer of the season, a two-run shot to rightfield, plating Ryan Terry.

Monmouth doubled its lead in the fourth, notching a set of runs, as Kyle O'Neill recorded a sac fly, Boyd registered an RBI on a fielder's choice, and Terry lifted a sacrifice to push the Blue and White ahead 6-0. Rosenkranz laced his second triple to lead off the fifth, and crossed home on Avella's double down the rightfield line, to give MU a 7-0 lead.

Meyers, who surrendered two hits over the first five frames, allowed the lone run after a lead-off single and an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, as Iona climbed within 7-1.

Monmouth tacked on its last run in the top of the ninth, as Terry reached on a lead-off single, advanced to third on Owen Stewart's first career hit - a double, and scored on a wild pitch.

In the second game, Breese tossed a season-high 7.0 shutout frames, allowing five hits, with four strikeouts to earn the victory, while Light, in his first career relief appearance, allowed one run on five hits, over 2.0 innings to pick up the save.

Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Light surrendered three straight, one-out singles, before allowing a run to score on a fielder's choice, as the out was recorded at third base. After a fourth single, an infield hit, loaded the bases, Light struck out Mike Guadagnini to end the game.

The Hawks took a 2-0 edge in the top of the fourth frame when Terry led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a Nick Pulsonetti single, stole third, and crossed home on Avella's single. After Bobby Dombrowski was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Mike Casale dropped down a sacrifice bunt to drive in Pulsonetti from third.

MU tacked on a third run in the top of the fifth, as O'Neill delivered his first career hit, a single up the middle, to lead off the frame. Following a hit-by-pitch to Boyd, Terry's sacrifice bunt pushed a pair of runners into scoring position. Pulsonetti then followed with an RBI groundout to make the score 3-0.

Monmouth returns to action on Friday, March 19, when the Hawks open at three-game series at East Carolina at Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.