SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Jeff Paglione (Mantua, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) threw three shutout innings as the Monmouth baseball team used extra innings to defeat in-state rival Seton Hall on the road Tuesday afternoon, 3-1. The Hawks get to 10-16 this season while SHU is now 17-13.
“We really hung tough today and got great pitching,” said head coach Dean Ehehalt. “I'm extremely happy for our team.”
Matt Littrell (Bayonne, N.J./Marist) posted a strong outing after getting the nod for Monmouth, throwing six innings and allowing just a run on eight hits, striking out a pair. Mike Brambilla (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) fired a scoreless seventh and Paglione threw three hitless innings to get the win. Anthony Pacillo went eight innings for the Pirates, surrendering a run on seven hits and getting a no decision. Luke Cahill got the loss, allowing both tenth-inning runs for SHU.
Offensively, Dan Shea (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) went three-for-five with an RBI for Monmouth. Shaine Hughes (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) had two hits and Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) and Adam Yunginger (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) both drove in runs, with Perry's in the tenth becoming the deciding run. Derek Jenkins and Mikael-Ali Mogues each had two hits for Seton Hall.
The Hawks loaded the bases in the tenth, starting with Grant Lamberton (Newark, Del./Salesianum) drawing a leadoff walk. Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) also walked, prompting a pitching change. Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, Pa./Scranton Preparatory) walked to load the bases without a hit, and Perry gave Monmouth the lead with a sacrifice fly to center. With two down and runners at first and second, Shea gave Monmouth insurance with an RBI single. Paglione retired the Pirates in order in the bottom of the inning to give Monmouth the win.
“We were able to create some opportunities in the tenth with some great at-bats and Kyle [Perry] and Danny [Shea] were clutch,” added Ehehalt.
Seton Hall's best opportunity to score came in the eighth, when Grimm led off with a double. Paglione entered the game in relief with a runner at second and no outs, and promptly got Sal Annunziata to foul out, struck out Mogues, and got Ryan Ramiz to fly out to right to end the threat. Just before that, Monmouth left two on in the seventh but could not score.
Jenkins was driven in by Kyle Grimm via an RBI ground out to give Seton Hall a 1-0 lead in the third. MU struck back to score in the fourth on an RBI ground ball by Yunginger, scoring Perry to tie things at one. Neither team would score until the tenth, when the Hawks took a 3-1 lead that turned out to be the final.
Monmouth is back in action in upstate New York this weekend for a conference series with Niagara beginning Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.
