GREENVILLE, NC – Behind seven unanswered runs and a five-run seventh inning, Monmouth University Baseball (1-5) knocked off the ninth-ranked team in the country, East Carolina (5-2), by an 8-5 count on Sunday afternoon. Jordan McCrum (Dallas, PA/Dallas Senior) fired three shutout innings to pick up the save as MU collected its first win of the year and fourth all-time against a nationally ranked opponent.

Trailing 5-1 entering the seventh, Robbie Holmes (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards) and Colin McCreary (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) doubled consecutively to cut it to 5-2. Brandon Taylor (North Smithfield, RI/LaSalle Academy) singled to move McCreary to third before a wild pitch made it 5-3, and Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) trimmed it to a one-run game with a base hit to left. JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) delivered the big blow, a two-run double down the left field line to complete the huge inning and give the Hawks the lead. 

After McCrum tossed a spotless seventh and worked around eighth-inning trouble, Zach Schild (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) knocked his second career home run to extend the lead to 8-5. Bryson Worrrell represented the tying run with two down in the ninth, but McCrum froze him to secure the MU victory.

Ryder Giles gave ECU a 3-0 lead with a double to the warning track in right in the second, and Tony Francisco extended it to 4-0 with a solo home run in the third. Holmes collected his first collegiate RBI in the fourth to cut it to 4-1 before Francisco's second long ball of the day made it a 5-1 Pirate lead in the sixth, the last runs ECU would score in the game.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Total team win today. I am so happy for our kids, they earned that win. ECU is a very difficult venue to play at. We battled through the early part of the game, Ksiazek gave us a gutty four innings and Ryan Lillie came in and settled the game down. Ryan changes the energy when he comes in and did so today. McCrum competed well and provided us with that extra shot in the arm." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

"Offensively we were able to string some quality at bats together in big spots. Robbie Holmes jumpstarted the rally, and Zach of course had the big two-run shot that gave us some insurance. It's always nice to get the first one." – Dean Ehehalt

-The win is Monmouth's fourth against a nationally ranked opponent all time, all of which have come under Dean Ehehalt.
-MU has now beaten two top-10 opponents in school history, beating No. 8 Virginia in 2016 and No. 9 East Carolina today.
-Three of Monmouth's four ranked victories have come over ECU (2010, 2016, 2019).
-Zach Schild extended his hitting streak to four games.
-Schild's home run was MU's first long ball of the season and second of his career, as well as the first that came during the regular season.
-Robbie Holmes drove in his first career run.
-Brandon Taylor picked up his first hit of the season.
-Colin McCreary also picked up his first hit and RBI of the year with a seventh-inning double.
-MU's 11 hits is a season high offensively.
-Ryan Lillie earned his first win since the 2018 MAAC Tournament vs. Quinnipiac.
-Jordan McCrum struck out five in relief, tied for the most K's he has had in an outing out of the bullpen.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU outhit ECU 11-6.
-The Hawks stranded eight runners to East Carolina's six.
-The 2-4 spots in the MU order combined for six hits and three RBI's. 
-Eight of nine spots in the MU lineup scored a run. 
-Tyler Ksiazek started for the first time this season, allowing four runs on three hits in four innings.
-Ryan Lillie earned the win, giving up just a run in two innings.
-Jordan McCrum collected his fourth career save with three shutout innings, giving up two hits and fanning five.
-Evan Voliva took the loss for ECU, allowing a run in his outing.
-Tony Francisco homered twice for the Pirates and Giles knocked in three runs.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth is back in action against Florida Atlantic on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.