WEST LONG BRACH, N.J. - Senior Ryan Terry (Levittown, Pa./ Harry S. Truman) drove in four runs on two home runs to pace the Monmouth University baseball team to a 10-1 Northeast Conference victory over Wagner College, Saturday afternoon. The Hawks, who had five extra base hits, improve to 18-13 on the season and 13-5 in league play while the Seahawks fall to 10-22 on the year and 8-10 in conference action.
Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed until tomorrow due to inclement weather.
Wagner jumped on Monmouth's starter Andy McDonnell (Newtown Square, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) in the first inning, scoring a run on Tyler Higgins' single to right, giving the Seahawks a 1-0 lead.
Danny Avella (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) lead off the second inning with a four-pitch walk and Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) took a 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for his third home run of the season, giving the Hawks a 2-1 advantage.
The Hawks tacked on another run in the third on Terry's sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 3-1, scoring Jamie Rosenkranz (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) who doubled and advanced to third on Avella's groundout.
The Blue and White added insurance in the fourth as Ed Martin (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan [Brookdale CC]) singled and advanced to third on a balk and a wild pitch. Two-batters later, Cal Costanzo (Edison, N.J./Edison) earned a free pass and Josh Boyd (Port Murray, N.J./West Morris Catholic) blasted a base-clearing triple to center, pushing the Hawks' lead to 5-1.
Wagner threatened in the fifth, getting two runners on, but McDonnell, and relievers Nick McNamara (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) and Matt Frazier (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) combined to get out of the jam.
Terry knocked a solo home run, his second of the season, to center with one out in the fifth. Pulsonetti then reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and swiped second base to get into scoring position. Martin reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, which allowed Pulsonetti to score and Martin to take second. Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) capped off the three run inning with RBI single to center, giving MU an 8-1 cushion.
In the bottom of the sixth, Terry blasted his second round-tripper of the game, a two-run shot to right, scoring Gronsky who reached on a base-hit to right field.
McDonnell picked up his third win, allowing one run on five hits, striking out one in 4.1 innings of work. McNamara struck out the only batter he faced while Frazier earned his third save throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball, fanning two in the process.
Dale Hering (3-4) was credited with the loss for Wagner, allowing 10 runs on nine hits in a complete game effort.
Monmouth and Wagner will conclude its four game series tomorrow, April 17th, with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Game one will be a seven-inning affair, while game two will be a nine-inning contest.
