Box Score BOCA RATON, FL- Monmouth baseball used a seven-run fourth inning to cut the FAU lead from eight to one, but ultimately were defeated 12-10 on Sunday afternoon in Boca Raton. The Owls take all three games of the season opening series.
Trailing 10-2 entering the fourth, MU drew two walks to start the inning before Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) launched his first career home run, a three-run shot to make it a 10-5 game. Two more Hawks got aboard before Tom Jakubowski (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) singled home a run, and freshman John LaRocca (Plainview, NY/St. Dominic) used an RBI ground out to add another and trim the FAU lead to 10-7. With Jakubowski still aboard, Chris Gaetano (Madison Township, PA/Scranton Preparatory) lifted his first home run of the season to make it 10-9, the closest MU would come.
FAU added runs in the fourth and fifth, one of those coming on a Stephen Kerr solo home run to make it a 12-9 score. Jakubowski manufactured a run in the seventh by reaching on catcher's interference, stealing second, going to third on a ground out and scoring on a passed ball to trim it to 12-10, the eventual final. Long tripled off the center field wall with two outs in the ninth but Monmouth was unable to score him.
FAU built their lead with three runs in the first, headlined by Esteban Puerta's two-run homer. They added six in the third, an inning that featured four Owls doubles.
NOTES AND QUOTES
“We showed a lot of toughness today. We battled back from a big hole.” –head coach Dean Ehehalt
-Monmouth scored 10 runs, its most since scoring 11 at Marist on 4/23/16.
-Freshman Danny Long hit his first career home run, a three-run shot.
-Long had three extra base hits in the game, finishing a single short of the cycle.
-Chris Gaetano hit his first home run of the season and fourth of the series for Monmouth.
-John LaRocca drove in his first collegiate run with an RBI ground out.
-Shaine Hughes finished 1-for-3 and is the only Hawk to tally a hit in every game of the weekend. He also walked twice and was aboard three times.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-The Hawks recorded 10 hits for the second time in the series.
-MU posted a seven-run inning, the largest of the season.
-Justin Andrews delivered three shutout innings of relief, allowing just two hits.
-Tyler Ksiazek allowed eight runs as the MU starter and takes the loss.
-FAU's Drew Peden picked up the win for the Owls, allowing just an unearned run in three innings.
-Long and Gaetano combined for all five of Monmouth's extra base hits.
UP NEXT
-Monmouth opens a three-game series at Furman on Friday, with first pitch set for 4:00 p.m.
