FAIRFAX, VA – Every Hawk in the starting lineup recorded a hit, and Dan Klepchick (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks South) fired seven solid innings as the Monmouth University Baseball Team (4-11) topped George Mason University (9-7) on Saturday afternoon, 9-3. MU used a five-run eighth inning to pull away, and JP Walsh (Spring Brook Township, PA/North Pocono) had three hits in the win.

Walsh tripled in the first to jumpstart the Hawks offense, scoring on Zach Schild's (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) sacrifice fly. JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) followed with another double, his team-leading fifth of the year before Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) matched him with his fifth double to make it 2-0 MU early.

Klepchick allowed just three baserunners in the first five innings, with just one advancing to third before MU tacked one on in the fifth when Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) led off with a two-bagger and Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) knocked him in with a single back through the box. The Patriots made a push in the seventh, getting within a run with three hits in the inning, including two doubles to cut it to 3-2.

MU broke it open in the top of the eighth, scoring five times to take a 9-2 lead. Robbie Holmes (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards) delivered a big knock, a two-run double after Andreessen lifted a sacrifice fly. Colin McCreary (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) followed with an RBI single, and Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) later drove in a run with a base hit to cap off the big inning. Mason Miller (Garney Valley, PA/Garnet Valley) worked a 1-2-3 eighth before George Mason added a run in the ninth to make the final score 9-3.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Nice team win today. We were able to get the lead early and give Klep some breathing room. He was sharp today and pitched out of some jams in the middle of the game. We responded in a very positive fashion after Mason made it 3-2. The top of our order was very productive, and our base running and the ability to string together good at bats was a big part of our offensive efficiency. All in all, a lot of positives to build on." -Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

-Every Hawk in the lineup recorded a hit.
-Klepchick won his second straight start, and fired his longest outing of the season of seven innings.
-Klepchick's six strikeouts tied a season high, recorded in his first start vs. Penn State.
-Mason Miller allowed his first earned run of the season in his eighth inning of work.
-JP Walsh posted his second game of the season with at least three hits.
-Andreessen and Zega have now combined for 10 of Monmouth's 25 doubles this season.
-Monmouth's 18 total bases marked a season high.
-Kyle Norman and JD Andreessen both extended their hitting streaks to six games.
-Norman has reached base in 11 in a row.
-Robbie Holmes has driven in six runs in the last four games.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outhit George Mason 12-9.
-Each team committed one error.
-Klepchick earned the win, throwing seven innings and fanning six while allowing two runs.
-Mason Miller allowed a run in two innings with two K's in relief for the Hawks.
-Nick Zegna took the loss for GMU, allowing three runs on six hits through five.

UP NEXT
-The Hawks and Patriots cap off the weekend series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in Fairfax, VA.