WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University baseball team fell to Fairleigh Dickinson, 12-8, in its Northeast Conference series finale, Sunday afternoon at MU Baseball Field. The Hawks (10-7, 3-1 NEC), who rallied from seven down to tie the score at 7-7 in the third, had its winning streak halted at six games, while the Knights, who received a complete game effort from Mike Eliasen, improved to 4-9-1 (1-3 NEC) with the victory.
Ed Martin (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan [BrookdaleCC]) went 4-for-4 from the plate, scoring two runs and added a pair of RBIs, while Chris Perret (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic) plated a team-high three runs on his three hits for the Blue and White, which took three-of-four from FDU over the weekend.
The Knights sent up eight batters in the first inning, plating three runs on four hits. Ryan Kresky doubled in FDU's first run of the game, while Kyle Weeks' single and Riley Moonan's sacrifice fly gave the Knights an early 3-0 lead.
Kresky drove in his second run of the contest in the following inning and Eric Anderson connected on a three-run home run to increase FDU's advantage to 7-0.
Danny Avella (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy), Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) and Martin each connected on singles to load the bases to start the home half of the second. Perret registered a base hit of his own, scoring Avella, and Jon Guida's (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) groundout plated Stewart. Martin scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Knights' lead to 7-3.
Josh Boyd (Port Murray, N.J./West Morris Central) was hit by a pitch to begin the third and came all away around to score on a Jamie Rosenkranz (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) double. Stewart followed with an infield single which put runners on the corners with two outs. Martin's seeing-eye single through the right side chased in Rosenkranz and set up Perret's two-run double to right to knot the score at 7-7.
FDU regained the lead in the top of the fourth on Mike Hewson's fielder's choice moving the Knights ahead, 8-7.
The game locked up at 8-8 in the fifth on Martin's two-out double to right field, scoring Stewart who reached a fielder's choice a batter earlier.
The Knights would go on and score the final four runs over the next three innings. In the sixth, Kresky crossed home plate on a double by Weeks to jump back in front, 9-8. Riley Moonan scored on a wild pitch and Ryan MacDonald's RBI single to center in the seventh increased FDU's lead to three. The Knights added an insurance run in the in the eighth on a base hit by Hewson to go in front for good, 12-8.
Monmouth's starter Stephen Frey (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) allowed six runs in 1.1 innings of a no decision. Stephen Prosapio (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet) saw three batters in his 0.2 innings of work, yielding a run on one hit, while rookie Adam Yunginger (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) struck out one Knight in an inning on the hill. FDU plated a run on a hit off of Neil Harm (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert), who is tagged with the loss, while Joe Loiodice (Forest Hill, Md./John Carroll) and Charlie Battis (Hamilton, N.J./Notre Dame) combined to hurl the final two innings. Battis struck out two in a scoreless 1.2 innings on the bump.
Monmouth will host UMass at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, in a non-conference tilt in West Long Branch.
