PHILADELPHIA, PA. - The Monmouth University baseball team fell in the ninth inning to Temple, 6-5, in non-conference action, Tuesday afternoon at Skip Wilson Field. The Hawks (7-8), who scattered 13 hits as a team, received three hits apiece from senior Ryan Terry (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) and freshman Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area).
With the score tied at 5-5 in the ninth inning, reliever Neil Harm (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) gave up back-to-back singles with one out. After walking a batter, reigning Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week Andrew McGee (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) came into the game and gave up the game-winning single to Cameron Green, allowing the Owls to walk-off with a 6-5 victory.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Hawks received a lead off base hit from freshman Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) and advanced on Josh Boyd's (Port Murray, N.J./West Morris Central) second sacrifice bunt of the game. Terry followed with a single, pushing Guida to third but Temple's reliever Steve Visnic got junior Ed Martin (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan [Brookdale CC]) to ground into a fielder's choice, where Guida was thrown out at home, and Jamie Rosenkranz (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) to pop up to first to end the threat.
Rosenkranz got the Hawks on the board in the first inning when he blasted a two-out home run, his first of the season, to put MU ahead, 1-0.
Temple responded in the bottom half of the frame on Steve Nikorak's two-run double, giving the Owls a 2-1 advantage. The Hawks fell behind 3-1 in the bottom of the third on Ryan Ferguson's home run to right field.
The Blue and White answered in the fourth as Chris Perret (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic) doubled and scored on Gronsky's single through the left side to cut the lead to one, 3-2.
An inning later, Terry earned a lead-off walk and moved to second on Martin's single. Rosenkranz followed with a RBI base hit through the right side, scoring Terry. Gronsky's single up the middle chased home Martin, giving MU its second lead of the game, 4-3.
The Hawks added to their lead in the sixth, as Guida singled and advanced to second on Boyd's sacrifice bunt and Terry followed with a single to right field, plating Guida, to give MU a 5-3 advantage.
In the ensuing inning, Temple's Nikorak registered an RBI double and later scored on a pass ball to knot the game at 5-5.
Rosenkranz and Gronsky both drove in two runs each to lead the Blue and White.
MU's junior starter John McDonald (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic) allowed three runs in 4.0 innings of work in the no-decision, while classmate Nick McNamara (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) pitched 2.0 innings, scattering four hits allowing one unearned run. Visnic earns the win for Temple pitching 3.0 scoreless frames.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow as it travels to South Orange, N.J. with a 3 p.m. non-conference tilt with Seton Hall.
