RIVERDALE, N.Y.– Manhattan put up runs in the sixth and seventh innings to beat Monmouth University's baseball team in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Van Cortlandt Park, 2-0. The loss drops Monmouth to .500 in the MAAC at 5-5 and 9-16 overall. The Jaspers go to 7-23 overall, and 4-8 in conference play.

Chris McKenna (Pine Beach, N.J./Toms River South) was solid again for MU, allowing two runs on six hits in six plus innings, striking out six and walking nobody. Frank Trimarco (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) went two spotless innings in relief, striking out two. Craig Sweeney (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) and Joe Bamford (Washington, N.J./Northampton C.C./Warren Hills Regional) each added a pair of hits for the Blue and White.

William Fabra hurled eight shutout innings for Manhattan, giving up just five hits and no walks while fanning three. Joe Jacques finished it out with a scoreless ninth to earn the save. Christian Santisteban had a two-hit day, and Evan Brown hit his first home run of the season for the Jaspers.

Monmouth threatened in the first, when Grant Lamberton (Newark, Del./Salesianum) led off with a double and Bamford  bunted for a base hit but MU couldn't push a run across. McKenna pitched through first inning trouble, leaving two runners on before going on a stretch of nine straight batters retired. The Hawks loaded the bases in the third with three straight two-out singles but were unable to plate a run.

The Jaspers struck first in the sixth, when Jason Patnick singled and Santisteban doubled down the right field line with two down to give Manhattan the 1-0 lead. The next inning, Brown took a 1-1 McKenna offering over the right field fence, giving the Jaspers a 2-0 lead. MU would put runners on base in the eighth and ninth but couldn't advance them, and the Jaspers took the series finale by a 2-0 count.

MU returns home on Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference tilt with Fairleigh Dickinson. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. at the MU Baseball Field.