WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University baseball team took both games of a Northeast Conference doubleheader from Long Island Saturday afternoon at MU Baseball Field. In game one, Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) delivered a two-out, two-run single in MU's last at bat to walk off with a 6-5 win and in the nightcap, Dan Smith (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) earned his fifth-straight win working his third-consecutive complete game as the Hawks came back with four runs in the fifth to escape with a 5-2 win.
Dean Ehehalt captured his 500th career win as a head coach with the game one victory over the Blackbirds. Ehehalt spent two years at Upsala College before spending the last 18 season in West Long Branch.
Monmouth earned its 30th win with its game two win, the seventh time in Ehehalt's tenure the squad has reached 30-win mark.
Sam Sciamerelli's leadoff home run off reliever John McDonald (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan Catholic) in the top of the seventh inning gave LIU a 5-3 lead. Monmouth responded in the home half as Jamie Rosenkranz (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) and Ed Martin (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan [Brookdale CC]) earned back-to-back walks and Ryan Terry (Levittown, N.J./Harry S. Truman) double scoring Rosenkranz. With runners on second and third, Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) was intentionally walked to load the bases and after Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) struck out swinging, Stewart took the first pitch back up the middle, chasing in Martin and Terry, giving the Hawks the walk-off 6-5 victory.
Long Island took advantage of two walks by Monmouth's starter Andy McDonnell (Newtown Square, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) scoring two runs on a Tyler Jones single and Drew Walsh's double in the first inning.
The Blue and White cut the deficit in home half of the frame on Terry's double to the right-center field gap, scoring Martin who singled a batter before to bring the Hawks within one, 2-1.
Terry was hit by a pitch with two outs in the third and came around to score on Pulsonetti's double down the left field line to knot the score at 2-2.
LIU took a lead in the ensuing inning on a double by Derek Stupski and added a tally in the fourth on a RBI ground out by Matt Molbury to regain the lead 4-2.
Cal Costanzo (Edison, N.J./Edison) connected on a RBI triple to left field chasing in Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) who earned a two-out walk to bring the Hawks within one, 4-3.
Terry, who drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, recorded two doubles in the contest, his 61st and 62nd career two-baggers making him Monmouth's all-time doubles leader.
Stephen Frey (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) picks up his third win of the season, retiring all three batters he faced. McDonnell worked 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits while McDonald worked 2.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits.
Even Zerff is saddled with the loss for the Blackbirds, yielding three runs on two hits in 0.2 innings of work.
In the nightcap, Monmouth struck in the opening inning as Terry singled, advanced to second on Pulsonetti's free pass and came round to score on Gronksy's RBI base hit, putting the Hawks ahead, 1-0.
In the third, LIU took the lead on a RBI-singles by Drew Walsh and Julian Walsh to jump ahead, 2-1.
With two outs in the fifth, Boyd and Rosenkranz earned walks and Martin followed with a base-hit to center, plating Boyd to cut the lead to one. After a wild pitch advancing the runners, Terry connected on a base clearing double, scoring Martin and Rosenkranz. After another wild pitch moving Terry to third and Pulsonetti walked, the duo completed a double steal to take the lead for good, 5-2.
Smith did not allow a hit over the final two innings to cap off his fifth win of the season in his third-consecutive complete game effort, allowing two runs while fanning six.
Justin Topa is saddled with the loss, yielding three runs on three hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Monmouth and Long Island conclude its four-game Northeast Conference series with a 1 p.m. contest tomorrow, Sunday May 8th. Prior to the contest, the Hawks will honor their senior student-athletes with a Senior Day ceremony.
