WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) had three hits and the bullpen allowed just one run in four innings, but the Monmouth University Baseball team (11-17-1, 2-4) fell to Marist College (13-16, 4-2) Sunday, 4-3. Brian Hart drove in the deciding run for the Red Foxes in the ninth.

Anthony Lazar's third home run of the series made it 1-0 Marist in the third, but MU got it back on a double play ball in the bottom half. The Hawks took the lead in the fourth, with Brandon Taylor (North Smithfield, RI/LaSalle Academy) hustling out a double down the left field line to score Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) before Taylor came in on Danny Long's (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) run-scoring ground out. Marist immediately tied things in the fifth on Robbie Armitage's two-run single through the left side before Ryan Lillie (Ocean Township, NJ/Ocean/Rhode Island) mowed down the Red Foxes into the ninth.

A leadoff single in the ninth down the third base line from Nick Cantone got Marist started, and after a sacrifice bunt, Hart lined a single to right to score the lead run. A double play negated Monmouth's threat in the bottom of the ninth, allowing Marist to take the third game of the series.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Definitely a tough one today. Moving forward we will be tested and just need to keep playing." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

-Kyle Norman posted his fifth three-hit game of the season and second of the weekend.
-Brandon Taylor's RBI double was his second extra base hit of the season.
-James Kelly fanned at least five for the second outing in a row.
-MU pitching struck out 10, the seventh time this season the staff has hit double digits in a game and sixth time in the last eight contests.
-Robbie Holmes extended his games reaching base streak to 18.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Lillie took his third loss after 3.1 effective innings, allowing a run on three hits.
-Kelly allowed three runs on six hits in his sixth start.
-Monmouth was outhit 9-6.
-Anthony Lazar had three hits to lead Marist.
-Ryan Cardona picked up the win with 3.2 shutout relief innings, allowing one hit, to move to 4-1.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth heads to Hofstra on Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.