WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University Baseball (26-27-1, 13-11) closed out the regular season with a win, topping Rider University (17-36, 8-16) 6-5 after dropping the prior game by a 5-3 count. Following results elsewhere in the MAAC later in the afternoon, the Hawks clinch the final spot in the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Hawks jumped to a 2-0 lead in Game Two after a pair of bases loaded walks, and Rider answered it in the third with a run on a ground out. Regan Dombroski (Manasquan, NJ/Wall) set down 12 in a row and pitched into the seventh with the lead, which the Hawks added on to in the sixth. MU plated one via an error before JP Walsh (Spring Brook Township, PA/North Pocono) drove one back through the middle to bring in two more and make it 5-2.

The Broncs got a run in the seventh that the Hawks answered on JD Andreessen's (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) third hit of the day in the bottom half to make it 6-2. Rider rallied with two down in the ninth, scoring on a bases loaded walk and a Sebastian Williamson bloop single to cut it to 6-5. With the tying run at third, Nick Houghton (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) induced a fly ball to end the game and secure the 6-5 victory.

In the opener, Rider scored quick when Williamson doubled to the wall in left center, but Colin McCreary (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) needed just two pitches to even things up with a solo homer down the right field line. Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) gave MU a second-inning lead with a long two-run homer to left, but Riley Mihalik hit a three-run home run in the third to give the Broncs the lead. Mihalik added a solo shot to right center to make it 5-3 Rider, the eventual final. 

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Regan Dombroski pitched great early in the game and gave us a shot to get there. Our guys try so hard, they want to finish, finish, finish and sometimes you have to hand it to the next guy and let him pick you up and Nick Houghton did a great job getting that last out. We've been resilient in the second half of the year, and we still have some work to do to keep getting better." - Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

Game One
-All of Monmouth's runs came via the home run. 
-Matt Graber's home run was the second of his career, and first since March 30 at Saint Peter's.
-Colin McCreary hit his third career homer.
-Monmouth had its seven game winning streak snapped.

Game Two
-Monmouth finished the regular season winning eight of nine, and seven of eight in MAAC play.
-After results elsewhere, MU earned the sixth seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament.
-JD Andreessen had three hits for the fifth time this year.
-Regan Dombroski threw a career high 6.2 innings.
-The Hawks close the regular season with a 10-10 home record, and have not had a losing season at home since 1995.
-Zach Schild finished the regular season batting .304, the best on the team.

NUMBERS CRUNCH

Game One
-MU was outhit 5-3.
-Monmouth made both errors in the game.
-James Kelly took his sixth loss, allowing four runs, three earned in four innings.
-Jordan Silverman got the win for Rider with 5.1 one hit innings.
-Riley Mihalik homered twice and drove in four of Rider's five runs.

Game Two
-The Hawks were outhit 9-7.
-Rider made the games lone error.
-The teams combined to leave 17 on base.
-Regan Dombroski earned the win with two runs allowed in 6.2 innings.
-Nick Houghton got the final out to pick up his second save of the year.
-Joe Papeo took his sixth loss of the year, allowing two runs in five innings with seven walks and no strikeouts. 

UP NEXT
-Monmouth will open the 2019 MAAC Tournament on Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m. at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, NY.