WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth pitching allowed just four hits on the day and senior Shaine Hughes (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) became the 16^th Hawk to have 200 career hits as Monmouth topped Princeton Thursday, 7-1. Monmouth's bullpen contributed 6.2 innings of shutout relief, and Hughes combined with Ryan Steckline (Newark, DE/Appoquinimink) to drive in five runs in the game.

In his third career start, James Kelly (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) worked two hitless innings before surrendering a run in the third on Jesper Horsted's sacrifice fly. That tied the game after MU had taken a 1-0 lead on a Hughes fielder's choice. The Blue and White took the lead for good in the sixth, when Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) plated a run on a fielder's choice before JP Walsh (Spring Brook Township, PA/North Pocono) went home on a throw to second to make it 3-1 Hawks.

The Blue and White added to the lead in the seventh, when Steckline doubled to center to score a pair, making it a 5-1 MU lead. Hughes' 200^th hit was a two-run double the other way to extend the lead to 7-1, and MU got scoreless relief down the stretch from Mike Brambilla (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) and Steckline, as the pair combined for four scoreless frames.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"It was a very nice team win today. We got exceptional pitching from all four guys.  James was solid as well as Ksiazek - although it was only the third inning, he got that big double play ball.  Brambilla was awesome today; it was nice to see him pitch well. Mike has been working hard and was really eager to get back out there." – Dean Ehehalt
 
"A huge congratulations to Shaine on his 200th hit today.  He joins a very select group of Monmouth players that have amassed 200 hits. Offensively, we manufactured some runs early, then were able to get two big two-run doubles from Steckline and Shaine. I was very pleased with our intensity today in extremely tough conditions." - Ehehalt

-Shaine Hughes became the 16^th Hawk to record 200 hits in a Monmouth uniform.
-Monmouth is now 20-17 all-time against the Tigers.
-Princeton was the first New Jersey team the Hawks have played this season.
-Mike Brambilla has now won a game in all of his four seasons as a Hawk.
-Hughes drove in three runs for the third time this season.
-Ryan Steckline posted his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
-Max Goione started his second game of the season.
-Monmouth pitching allowed just four hits, the third lowest output of the season by an opponent.
-Brambilla became the fifth different MU pitcher to earn a win this season.
-James Kelly made his first start on the mound since 2016.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Six different Hawks had a hit.
-Monmouth outhit Princeton 8-4 for the game.
-MU relief pitching combined for 6.2 shutout innings (Ksiazek, Brambilla, Steckline).
-The top four players in the Princeton order all had a hit, accounting for all four Tigers hits.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth is at Quinnipiac on Saturday to continue MAAC play with the Bobcats, beginning with a doubleheader at noon.