BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (May 14, 2010) - The Monmouth University baseball team lost a pair of one-run, extra inning affairs in a Northeast Conference doubleheader at Sacred Heart University on Friday afternoon at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In game one, the Hawks rallied to take a seventh inning lead but fell 6-5 in eight, while Steve Tedesco's walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth gave the Pioneers the sweep, with a 4-3 victory in game two.

With the pair of losses, the Hawks fall to 20-22 overall and 13-14 in conference play, while the Pioneers improve to 27-22 overall and 18-9 in the NEC.

After Monmouth stranded a pair of runners in the first inning, Sacred Heart pushed across a run to take an early 1-0 lead off Kyle Breese, when Jeff Heppner's RBI single scored Tedesco.

The Pioneers corralled a 2-0 lead in the in the home half of the fourth, when John Murphy led off the frame with a double and crossed on JJ Edwards' single.

Monmouth responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to knot the game at 2-2, on Ryan Terry's two-run double to right center, plating Mike Casale, and pinch-runner, Josh Boyd.

SHU retook the lead in the bottom of fifth, notching an unearned run, with two outs. Following a strikeout-caught stealing double play, a fielding error in the outfield allowed the inning to continue for the Pioneers as the go-ahead run moved into scoring position on the play. With two away, Murphy then laced a single to right center to push SHU in front 3-2.

The Hawks climbed even in the top of the seventh, when Kyle O'Neill yanked a one-out, solo home run to left, the first of his career, to tie the score at 3-3, and went ahead by two, after a pair of two-out errors. Following O'Neill's game-tying homer, Casale reached on an error and Ryan Terry drew a walk. With two runners aboard, Jamie Rosenkranz singled, while an error allowed both runners to cross for the 5-3 lead.

The Pioneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5. Mike Drowne and Tedesco started the one-out rally with consecutive singles, before a fielding error allowed Drowne to cross and trim the lead to 5-4. Heppner then reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Tedesco to notch the tying run.

After a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, Sacred Heart loaded the bases with one out in the home half, after a single, an error and a walk. With the bags packed, Tedesco drove in the winning run with a single.

Breese, who notched a season-high tying six strikeouts, worked 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits, while Neil Harm (3-1), who recorded the final out of the seventh - stranding two runners in a tie game, was saddled with the loss after surrendering the deciding run in the eighth.

SHU starter Jared Balbach also tossed 6.2 innings, surrendering three earned runs on five hits, with six punchouts. Chris Dionsio, who registered the final out of the seventh after MU went ahead by two runs, worked 1.1 frames, including a perfect eighth for the Pioneers, to earn the win.

In game two, the Hawks got on the board in the first, as Casale started things off with a triple and later scored on Nick Pulsonetti's run-scoring single through the left side. The Pioneers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first when Tedesco tripled and scored on a sac fly, tying the game at 1-1.

Casale single-handedly gave Monmouth a 2-1 edge in the top of the sixth, when the senior connected on a solo homer to lead off the frame, his second of the year.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dave Boisture drew a lead-off walk and promptly stole second base, putting the tying run in scoring position, before advancing to third on a groundout. With the tying run at third and one away, Hunter Phillips singled to left to knot the score at 2-2.

Following back-to-back strikeouts to open the Monmouth eighth, Rosenkranz was hit by a pitch and stole second, and after Matt McEndy was inserted as a pinch-runner, Pulsonetti laced an RBI double down the left field line to push MU in front 3-2.

Nick McNamara, who entered in relief of Pat Light in the bottom of the eighth, allowed a one-out single to Tedesco, before loading the bases behind an intentional walk and a hit-by-pitch. With two away and bags packed, Boisture drew a free pass to tie the score at 3-3.

Tedesco, who went 6-for-10 in the doubleheader, ended the game in the bottom of the tenth with a solo shot to left off of McNamara to secure the sweep.

Light, who surrendered a pair of runs on six hits, worked 7.0 innings, with two strikeouts in the no-decision.

McNamara (1-2) was saddled with the loss in game two, allowing two runs on three hits in 2.0 frames.

Monmouth and Sacred Heart are set to play the final game of the Northeast Conference series on Saturday, at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, in Bridgeport.