WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – An all-around effort propelled Monmouth University Baseball (13-19-1, 3-4) to a Game One victory over Niagara University (8-22, 3-4) by a 9-3 count before the Hawks fell in the nightcap to the Purple Eagles, 5-0. MU homered twice in the first contest and the Blue and White struck out 11 batters in the win.

The Hawks steadily built a lead, getting on the board on a Zach Schild (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) ground ball in the first and a Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) RBI grounder in the second. The MU bats got going during that second, with Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) and Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) both knocking home runs with line drives to stake Klepchick to a 4-0 lead. Klepchick pitched through third inning trouble, with runners at second and third and no out before stranding both.

Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) hit Monmouth's first home run at home this season in the third, launching one out to left to make it 5-0. Josh Marchese snuck a two-out base hit inside the right field line to plate a Niagara run in the fourth, but MU answered with a three-run homer off the bat of JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) in the bottom half. Niagara added single runs in the fifth and sixth, the latter on a Peter Battaglia home run, but Koniencki drove in another in the sixth and Ryan Steckline (Newark, DE/Appoquinimink) shut the door with two quick innings.

Battaglia got the scoring started in Game Two in the second inning with a solo homer, and Dawson Bailey singled one home in the fourth to make it 2-0. A three-run fifth capped by Darian Blanks' two-run triple make it 5-0 Niagara, and Matthew Brash completed the seven-inning game, allowing just four MU hits.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"It was really important coming into the weekend that we jumped out and got a lead, that was our goal and we certainly did that. In the second inning we manufactured some runs and took advantage of some things and put up three and took control of the game. We had some two-out hits that helped us out there and I think we had two outs and two strikes with nobody on, we singled and put up two runs after that." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt on Game One

"I thought Klepchick was effective today. He had a better rhythm, he's not the same kid he was last year because everyone knows who he is now and that's a little more difficult. He makes big pitches in big spots and pitches out of jams and he keeps getting better. He gives us a chance to win every time out." – Ehehalt on Dan Klepchick's outing

"We ran into a buzzsaw with Niagara's pitcher Brash. You have to get those guys early or get them in bunches and we were unable to do that. You tip your hat to those guys, but we're going to come back tomorrow and play hard and see if we can win the series." – Ehehalt on Game Two

Game One
-Dan Klepchick's 10 strikeouts were the most by a Hawk this season.
-Klepchick walked just one, and has yet to walk more than two batters in a start this season.
-Clay Koniencki hit Monmouth's first home run at home this season.
-Ryan Steckline has now delivered four straight scoreless outings.
-JD Andreessen hit his fifth home run, the most on the team.
-Max Goione added his second multi-hit game of the season.

Game Two
-All four MU hits game from the 2-5 spots in the order.
-Nick Houghton posted his third scoreless outing of the season, all coming in his last four appearances.
-The Hawks split a MAAC doubleheader for the first time this season.

NUMBERS CRUNCH

Game One
-Monmouth outhit Niagara 11-8.
-The Purple Eagles made four errors to Monmouth's zero.
-Klepchick worked seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts.
-Tommy Bednarski took his second loss of the season, allowing seven runs, five earned on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
-Two Purple Eagles, Battaglia and Bailey, had multi-hit games.

Game Two
-MU was outhit 11-4.
-The Hawks made the games only error.
-Rob Hensey took his fourth loss, allowing two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings.
-Matthew Brash allowed just four hits in seven shutout innings with eight K's to earn the win.
-Three Purple Eagles had multiple hits in the game.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth and Niagara wrap up the weekend series tomorrow beginning at noon.