WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Powered by three home runs, including a pair from senior Bobby Dombrowski, the Monmouth University baseball team earned an 8-5 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in Northeast Conference action on Friday afternoon. The victory also clinches the Hawks' fourth straight NEC Tournament appearance, and 14^th overall in program history.

Dombrowski, the game's designated hitter, connected on a three-run homer in the first inning, and a solo shot in the sixth, while Nick Pulsonetti laced a three-run shot of his own in the seventh, to help Monmouth improve to 21-23 overall and 14-15 in league play.

Monmouth opened the game with a three-run homer to dead center off the bat of Dombrowski, to take an early 3-0 lead. After the Hawks opened with back-to-back singles from Mike Casale and Ryan Terry, Dombrowski connected on his fifth home run of the year with one out.

The Hawks increased their advantage to 4-0 in the second inning when Casale delivered a two-out, run-scoring single to right, which drove in Cal Costanzo from second.

Dombrowski laced his second home run of the contest to center field to open the sixth inning, pushing Monmouth in front 5-0, off FDU starter Mike Strachman.

FDU trimmed the lead to 5-2 in the top of the seventh, when JT Sherba connected on a two-run double to left center, plating Mike Eliasen and Scott Morrison, who reached on an error and single, respectively.

Monmouth took an 8-2 advantage in the bottom of the seventh on Pulsonetti's three-run shot to left center field, his fourth of the year, which drove in Casale and Terry.

Freshman Neil Harm, who entered the game in the top of the eighth with two runners on base, loaded the bags with a hit-by-pitch, but struck out Morrison to end the threat.

The Knights loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, with one out, against reliever Nick McNamara, on an error, a single and a walk, before DJ Robinson's RBI single to left pulled FDU within 8-3. With the bags still packed, a hit-by-pitch forced in a second run, allowing the tying run to step in to the box. Ryan Kresky then followed with an RBI groundout to make the score 8-5, before Eliasen popped out to end the game.

Senior lefty Nick Meyers (6-2), who pitched around a pair of base runners in both the fifth and sixth innings, worked 7.2 frames to earn the victory. Meyers allowed one earned run on nine hits, with four strikeouts. McNamara allowed three runs - one earned - in an inning of work.

Casale went 3-for-4 in the lead off spot for the Hawks, while Dombrowski drove in four runs, and Pulsonetti drove in three.

Strachman (2-7) surrendered eight runs on nine hits, in 6.1 frames, to earn the loss, while Chris Theordor tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, when the Hawks host the Knights in a Northeast Conference doubleheader, slated for 1:00 p.m.