PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Monmouth University baseball team used a two-run sixth inning and strong relief pitching to beat in-state rival Rutgers 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Bainton Field. Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) and Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) each had three hits for MU. The Hawks are now 6-12, while Rutgers is 8-18.
“We really had to grind out that win,” said Head Coach Dean Ehehalt. “Our team did an excellent job of attacking the game. Ricky Dennis pitched extremely well, our bullpen did a nice job and I'm very happy for our guys.”
Ricky Dennis (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) was credited with the win in his first career start, tossing five innings and allowing two unearned runs on three hits, striking out three. Jeff Paglione (Mantua, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) threw a scoreless eighth inning, setting the table for Frank Trimarco (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) to fire a shutout ninth to pick up his first career save. John O'Reilly suffered his first loss of the season, and two RU relievers allowed just two Monmouth runs. Mike Carter added three hits for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers got on the board in the third after Mike Carter doubled and came around to score on an error. The Hawks immediately answered with two in the fourth, started with a Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) walk. Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, Pa./Scranton Preparatory) ripped a single off the mound, and Perry placed a double just inside the right field line to score Wilgus. Ryan Bailey (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) followed with a ground out to first to score the second run of the inning.
RU would tie the game in the fourth after a pair of Monmouth errors. Shaine Hughes (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) led off the sixth with a double to right center and moved up on a Gaetano sacrifice fly. Perry fit a single through the left side to bring in a run, and after a Bailey single moved Perry to third, Pete Papcun (Brick, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) laced a single to left to give the Hawks a two-run edge.
Alessandrine helped manufacture a run in the seventh, singling up the middle before going to second on a Wilgus sac bunt. While at second, a pickoff attempt went into center field and Alessandrine hustled to third before sliding home safely on the next pitch, a Hughes sacrifice fly to put MU up 5-2.
Rutgers grabbed a pair of runs back in the last of the eighth, led off by Vinny Zarrillo's single to left. Joe D'Annunzio walked, and a sac fly put them on second and third. Chris Folinusz pinch hit and singled back through the box to score both runs and trim the Monmouth lead to 5-4.
The Blue and White responded with an important run in the ninth, again sparked by Alessandrine, who singled leading off. He moved to second on another Wilgus sacrifice, and Hughes placed a single up the middle to bring Alessandrine around. Trimarco struck out two in the ninth including getting Tom Marcinczyk swinging to end the ballgame.
The win marks Monmouth's eighth all-time over Rutgers and first win over a Big Ten program since beating Penn State in 2008.
“We got some key hits from more than one guy, which is always a plus,” added Ehehalt.
The Hawks are back in action this weekend beginning on Friday for a conference series with Quinnipiac. For all info on MU Baseball, follow @MUHawksBaseball on Twitter.
