WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Monmouth University baseball team dropped Game 1 of a doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn, 4-3, Saturday afternoon before having Game 2 suspended due to darkness with the game tied at 2-2 at the conclusion of the 12th inning. With the win, LIU Brooklyn moves to 20-31 (16-14 NEC) and clinches the final spot in the NEC Tournament. Monmouth, already entrenched with the third seed in the tournament, moves to 30-22 (19-11 NEC). Game 2 of the doubleheader is tentatively schedule to be resumed at 1 p.m. tomorrow followed by the regularly scheduled final game of the series. Senior Day ceremonies will be held at 12:50 p.m., prior to the resumption of today's game.
The Monmouth offense was led on the day by Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) who had four hits and Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) who drove in two runs. In Game 1 for MU, TJ Hunt (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) got the loss going five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking three. Adam Yunginger (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) threw the final two innings of the first game, giving up just one hit and allowing no runs. In the second game, Frank Trimarco (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) got the nod and went six innings, allowing two earned on five hits and striking out four. Stephen Frey (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) tossed five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out seven.
The Blackbirds got contributions from Pete Leonello, who knocked in three runs in the first game. Tito Marrero and Jesse Brown added two hits apiece in Game 2. On the mound in the first game, Jordan Wilcox went 6.2 innings to earn the win allowing three runs, two of them earned, on seven hits, striking out four. Marrero came on to record the final out of the game and earn the save. Kevin Needham started Game 2, working five innings and allowing just a run on two hits in a no-decision. Evan Zerff threw seven innings in relief, allowing a run on five hits and striking out seven.
In Game 1, the Blackbirds got on the board first when Leonello took a Hunt offering over the right-center field wall to put LIU Brooklyn up 1-0 in the top of the third. Needham followed in the fourth with a home run of his own to right field, giving LIU a 2-0 advantage. LIU would add two more in the frame, when Brown and Mike Garcia singled consecutively. After a Tommy Jakubowski walk, Leonello lined a single through the right side to bring home a pair and give LIU Brooklyn a 4-0 edge.
The Hawks plated their first run of Game 1 in the bottom of the sixth, when Perry singled and stole second, moving to third on an errant throw. Two batters later, Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) laced a single into center to score Perry.
In the bottom of the seventh, Craig Sweeney (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) drew a walk to lead off the frame. Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) was next, and he lined an opposite field, run-scoring triple to cut the LIU Brooklyn lead in half. Dan Shea (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) brought home Guida with a sacrifice fly to bring MU within a run, but the Hawks couldn't push across the tying run.
In Game 2, LIU Brooklyn took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Ziznewski doubled to deep center and went to third on a wild pitch. Garcia brought him in with a sacrifice fly into foul territory down the right field side. The Blackbirds would add to their lead in the fifth when Marrero homered to left.
Monmouth answered right back in the fifth, getting one run when Perry reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Gronsky shot one back up the middle for a run-scoring single that brought MU within one.
In the seventh, Monmouth manufactured a run to send the game to extra innings. Perry laced a one-out double down the third base line, and moved to third on a Wilgus base hit. Gronsky put one in the same spot as Perry to tie the game with a double and send Game 2 to extra frames.
The game was suspended at the conclusion of the 12th inning tied at two apiece due to darkness and is slated to resume tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Hawks wrap up their regular season tomorrow afternoon against the Blackbirds at MU Baseball Field. Senior Day festivities will begin at 12:50 p.m. with the first pitch set for 1 p.m., beginning with the top of the 13th inning. The final nine-inning contest will follow.
