NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Sophomore Ryan Bailey (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) went 3-for-4, including registering a home run for the second straight day, and senior Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) drove in a pair of runs as the Monmouth University baseball team defeated Niagara, 7-4, in the rubber game of a three-game set, Sunday afternoon at Bobo Field.  Anthony Ciavarella (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) earned the victory for the Blue and White, which improves to 12-17 on the year and 6-6 in league, while the Hawks' bullpen worked nearly three innings to help lock down the win.

Monmouth opened the scoring in the top of the third when Robbie Alessandrine (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) recorded an infield single and advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts.  Shaine Hughes (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) connected on a single through the left side to plate Alessandrine to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.   Hughes swiped second and after a free pass to Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, Pa./Scranton Preparatory), Perry sent a ball to short where an errant throw allowed Hughes to come home and score.  Niagara's catcher Joel Brophy's throw trying to cut down Perry taking second enabled Gaetano to touch home and give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the frame, Niagara got back a pair of runs on Anthony Firenzi's double and Christian Vangeison's single to bring the Purple Eagles within one, 3-2.

Monmouth tacked on insurance runs in both the fifth and the sixth.  Hughes singled with one out in the fifth and moved to third on consecutive wild pitches.  Perry connected on a single through the right side, chasing in Hughes to put the Hawks up 4-2.  In the sixth, Bailey blasted a solo shot to right off reliever Mac Curran to stake MU to a 5-2 advantage.

Niagara responded with single runs in the seventh and eighth.  Back-to-back doubles by Michael Furhman and Firenzi chased Ciavarella from the game in the seventh, before Thomas Rodrigues produced a run on a single, plating Owen Dziados, who walked to lead off the frame, to climb NU within one, 5-4.

Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) worked a one-out walk in the ninth and stole second to move into scoring position.  Gaetano registered a base hit to left and landed on second after Taylor Hackett's attempt trying to throw out Wilgus at home was late.  Perry followed with a single of his own, producing his second RBI of the day and giving Monmouth a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.  Justin Andrews (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) worked around a one-out double to shut the door for his second save of the season after getting a win yesterday.

Ciavarella struck out three in 6.1 innings of work, yielding three runs on eight hits and one free pass to earn the win.  Matt Littrell (Bayonne, N.J./Marist) allowed a run while recording a punch out in less than an inning of work, while Frank Trimarco (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) and Andrews combined for two hits and a pair of strikeouts in relief.  Liam Stroud took the loss for Niagara, allowing four runs on eight hits.

Monmouth returns to action this week with a pair of non-conference games, both to be broadcast on ESPN3.  On Tuesday, the Blue and White will welcome in Seton Hall before hosting Lafayette on Wednesday.  Both games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.