CARY, NC – JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster) homered with one out in the ninth to tie the game and Pete Papcun (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) followed with a solo shot to complete a five-run ninth inning comeback over Big Ten member Penn State in Cary, NC Saturday. Monmouth trailed 8-4 heading into the final inning before five straight Hawk recorded a hit, four of them for extra bases in a five-run frame.

Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) started the ninth with a one-out single before Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel) came through with his second double in as many games. Shaine Hughes (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) drove them both in with a double to center, setting up Andreessen to launch his first home run as a Hawk to tie the game at eight. Papcun followed by pulling his first long ball of the season to left to give the Hawks a 9-8 advantage. Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) came on to fire a spotless ninth to complete Monmouth's comeback.

PSU took a 2-0 lead in the second on a single and an error, but the Hawks answered back with a run-scoring ground out from Norman and an Andreessen RBI double. The Nittany Lions went back on top in the fourth with three runs, with Jordan Bowersox singling one home before Ryan Sloninger plated two more with a double.

MU got two back in the sixth to trim it to 5-4, scoring on a Papcun RBI double, but PSU struck for three in the sixth to open it back to an 8-4 lead before the Hawks posted five in the final inning.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"First off, what a great comeback and team win.  I am really proud of the team today.  We have been locking horns with some real good teams and today was no different. Our guys really showed a lot of grit and fight this afternoon." – Dean Ehehalt

"Austin [Counsellor] kind of kept us within striking distance and Kyle Ajjan was excellent in the seventh and eighth.  Clay got things started in the ninth and we followed with some great at bats. We strung together five good ones in a row, JD had a real good at-bat, got into a good count and found the barrel, and Pete's home run was clutch also. It was nice to see those guys get going, and I thought that Ryan Steckline and Matt Graber gave us some real good energy today.  Tomorrow should be a good test as well and we need to be up for the challenge." – Ehehalt

-Andreessen and Papcun hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth to put Monmouth on top.
-Kyle Norman doubled for the second game in a row.
-Danny Long collected his second career save.
-Matt Graber and Ryan Steckline made their first career starts.
-Kyle Ajjan earned his first victory of the season.
-Monmouth has beaten Penn State three times in a row.
-The 2-5 spots in the Monmouth order combined for nine hits and seven RBI's.
-Ryan Steckline collected his first career multi-hit game.
-JP Walsh made his first start of the season in right field.
-Max Goione made his MU debut at second base.
-Monmouth's relievers did not allow an earned run.
-MU picks up its first win of the 2018 season.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Joe Molettiere struck out five in his second start of the year, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings.
-Kyle Ajjan allowed just one hit and fanned four in 2.1 innings.
-Danny Long picked up his first save of the year with a perfect ninth.
-Four Hawks had multiple hits.
-MU outhit Penn State 12-8.
-Austin Counsellor threw 2.1 innings without giving up an earned run.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth wraps up a weekend in Cary, NC tomorrow against UMBC at 10:30 a.m.