BOCA RATON, FLA. - The Monmouth University baseball team dropped its third straight contest falling to Florida Atlantic, 9-5, Sunday afternoon at FAU Baseball Stadium. The Hawks, who left 10 runners on base, fall to 2-4 on the season while the Owls improve to 10-3 with their sixth straight win.
FAU scored in the first inning for the third straight game as Alex Hudak registered a two-run double, scoring Dan Scheffler and Andy Mee who both singled, to jump ahead 2-0.
The Hawks cut the lead to one in the second inning as sophomore Danny Avella (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) walked and later advanced to second on an error by Scheffler. After an Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) single, Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) registered his first career RBI on a single, plating Avella. The Hawks threatened for more as junior Ed Martin (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan [Brookdale CC]) earned a walk to load the bases yet Owls starter R.J. Alvarez forced Ryan Terry (Levittown, Pa. (Harry S. Truman) to ground out to third baseman Sean Bukovich who stepped on third to end the Hawks' attack.
The Owls extended their lead in the third inning on Scheffler's RBI double, Hudak's groundout and Nick Delguidice single to go ahead by four, 5-1.
The Hawks answered in the fourth as Anthony Lawrence (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) singled, Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) walked and Martin's sacrifice bunt along with a throwing error by Alvarez loaded the bases for the Blue and White. Terry followed with a two-run single, bringing the Hawks within two while chasing Alvarez from the game. Nick Pulsonetti's (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) sacrifice fly scored Lawrence and Stewart's single chased home Martin to knot the game at 5-5.
The Owls regained the lead an inning later on a two-run double by Delguidice. FAU picked up insurance runs in the eighth on Raymond Church's RBI double off the top of the wall followed by an single by Mee to increase its lead to 9-5.
MU starter Dan Smith (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) is credited with the loss allowing seven runs on 12 hits. John McDonald (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic) threw 2.2 of two hit baseball while Nick Vallillo (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) allowed one hit in his 0.1 inning of work. Josh Gonzaga earns the win for the Owls pitching 5.0 scoring innings of three hit baseball in relief. Alvarez threw 3.0 innings allowing six hits while fanning five Hawks.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow as it battles St. Bonaventure in a neutral site battle in West Palm Beach, Fla. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m.
