GREENVILLE, N.C. - Craig Sweeney (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) and Dan Shea
(Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) had three hits each, but the Monmouth University
baseball team fell at East Carolina, 7-6, Saturday afternoon on Lewis Field at
Clark-LeClair Stadium. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 3-6, while the Pirates
improve to 8-5.
Sweeney drove in three of the
Hawks' six runs, while Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) added
two hits, including a two-run go-ahead double in the top of the seventh. Chris
Perret (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic) also chipped in with two hits and
two runs scored. Dan Smith (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) took the loss, allowing six
runs, three earned, on eight hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. He struck out
one.
Jack Reinheimer and Dylan
Brown had two hits each for ECU, while Chris Gosik delivered a three-run home
run in the fifth for the Pirates. Starting pitcher Ryan Williams continued his
season-long streak of not allowing a run in the first five innings of game
before allowing six runs in his final 2.1 innings pitched to pick up the win. Over
7.1 innings pitched, Williams allowed 11 hits without walking a batter while
striking out three. Drew Reynolds recorded his fifth save of the year, throwing
1.2 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two.
Gosik's three-run blast to
left broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth. The Hawks responded with
four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. Perret singled to get
things started before a throwing error put Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater
Raritan) and Perret on second and third, respectively. After Perret scored and Guida
moved to third on a wild pitch, Sweeney's infield single to third scored Guida.
Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) then laid down a sacrifice bunt to push
Sweeney to second and Shea singled to the hole at short to put runners on first
and second. Casey Saverio (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) singled to load the
bases, before Wilgus doubled down the right field line to score two. But ECU got
out of further trouble with a double play.
The Pirates responded with
four unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh. After consecutive flyouts to
begin the inning, Bryan Bass reached on a fielding error that would've been the
third out. Two singles that didn't leave the infield loaded the bases before
Smith was pulled in favor of TJ Hunt (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo). Hunt walked the
first batter he faced to tie the game before uncorking a wild pitch to chase
home another run. Another fielding error scored two more runs before Hunt ended
the inning with a strikeout.
Trailing 7-4 heading to the
eighth, Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) and Perret singled to open
the inning and moved to second and third on a throwing error on Perret's base
hit. Sweeney then singled up the middle to score both baserunners. But the
Hawks couldn't bring Sweeney around and went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
The Hawks conclude their
three-game series at East Carolina Sunday. First pitch from Lewis Field at
Clark-LeClair Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
