STATEN ISLAND, NY – Down to the final out of the season, Colin McCreary (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) launched a 1-1 offering into the Hudson River in straightaway right field to tie the game at 11 for Monmouth University Baseball (27-28-1) before the Hawks topped Marist College (27-26) in 10 innings, 13-11. 

After JP Walsh (Spring Brook Township, PA/North Pocono) bunted his way aboard with one out in the ninth with the Hawks trailing by two, McCreary came up with two down and hit the third pitch he saw out of the ballpark to tie the game at 11. After Walsh leapt head first into the wall in right in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras, the MU offense went back to work in the 10^th, with Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) tripling into the right field corner before JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) doubled just inside the left field line to give the Hawks the lead. Andreessen eventually came around on a throwing error to make it 13-11, and Ryan Lillie (Ocean, NJ/Ocean Township) tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the victory. 

Each team scored in the first, with MU striking first on an error before Marist got one on an RBI ground out. The Red Foxes jumped in front 4-1 quickly in the second, however, scoring three with two down on Patrick Lightner's RBI single ahead of a two-run homer for Anthony Lazar. 

The Blue and White came roaring back in the third, scoring four times on five hits to take the lead. Zach Schild (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) and Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) each singled home runs before Walsh laced one to left to tie the game. Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) tucked one inside the left field chalk to put the Hawks up 5-4, capping the big frame. 

The teams traded the lead back and forth, with the Red Foxes tying it at five in the fourth before Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) put a double in the left field corner to make it 6-5 Hawks in the sixth. Robbie Armitage immediately got it back even in the sixth with an RBI single before the teams traded three-run seventh innings. MU scored on a wild pitch, an error and a ground out while Marist notched their three on a bases loaded hit by pitch and a two-run single to left off the bat of Armitage. Marist plated a pair in the eighth to take an 11-9 lead before MU tied it in the ninth and won in 10.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Our guys battled the whole way. Some things didn't go our way, but we fought hard. That was a game that was indicative of our season in a lot of ways. We've competed, and competed, and competed, and when we don't execute we get hurt, but there's a lot of fight in these guys." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt on the win

"We have that never say die attitude and we know we can come back, hopefully we can just keep the lead better in tonight's game." – Ehehalt on playing another elimination game tonight 

"It's an emotional game. Back and forth, both teams were battling, competing and at that point I was looking for a fastball up, and I was able to get a good piece of it." – Colin McCreary on his game-tying home run

"Knowing it was an elimination game, sometimes your emotions are going crazy in your head. You have to be able to slow the game down, take it one pitch at a time, and we were able to do that and make plays when we needed to, and we ended up with the W." – McCreary on the win

-The 24 runs is the highest in a MAAC Tournament game since 2013, when Canisius defeated Rider 18-7. It is the most runs in a tournament game since MU joined the MAAC.
-The Hawks have now won a game in the MAAC Tournament in two straight years.
-Every Hawk in the lineup registered a hit.
-Seven Hawks drove in runs in the game.
-Colin McCreary is now third on the team with four home runs.
-MU is now 5-3-1 this season in extra innings, and have outscored opponents 9-3 in the extra sessions.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-The game was four hours, 18 minutes long.
-MU was outhit by Marist, 15-13.
-The teams combined to commit seven errors.
-There were 10 combined pitchers used.
-Ryan Lillie earned his third win, firing 2.1 spotless innings. 
-Skyler Pichardo took the loss, allowing the lead runs in the 10^th for Marist.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth takes on #3 Fairfield at 8:30 p.m. tonight in an elimination game on ESPN+.