STATEN ISLAND, NY – Monmouth University Baseball (27-29-1) was eliminated on Friday night from the 2019 MAAC Tournament, 5-2 in 10 innings by Fairfield University (33-24). Jack Gethings' walk-off home run was the difference for the Stags.

Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) doubled with one down in the second and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on JD Andreessen's (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) sac fly. James Kelly (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) worked through six innings, allowing just one run, when Justin Guerrera lifted a sacrifice fly following an unexpected balk call in the fifth.

The Blue and White immediately took the lead back, when a sac bunt and a sac fly scored Matt Graber (Newton, MA/Dexter) after the sophomore led off with a double. The Stags loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but Zega picked off a hard-hit ball to turn a double play and end the threat. Ryan Steckline (Newark, DE/Appoquinimink) also worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, and retired the first two in the ninth before a pair of hit batsmen and a Dan Ryan single tied the game.

MU put two on in the 10^th but could not score, and the Hawks got two outs in the bottom half before Gethings hit a three-run homer to end the game.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"I am really proud of our team. We competed on every pitch and both of today's games came down to the end in extra innings. This group has been in battle mode most of the season. We were fortunate to have so many fine young men in the program. The seniors have a ton of heart and are all top-notch people. We will miss their passion and their selfless attitudes. They impacted our program in so many ways. Today should not define our season.  At some point we will look back on it and remember a great deal of positives." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt

-Zach Schild concluded the season as the Hawks leading hitter at .303.
-Matt Graber posted his third multi-hit game of the season.
-Danny Long led MU in hitting in the MAAC Tournament at .333.
-Every Hawk to get an at bat in the tournament drove in a run.
-MU hit 10 doubles in three MAAC Tourney games.
-Ryan Lillie pitched in every game of the tournament.
-Four MU freshmen competed on the mound in the tournament.
-Schild also led MU in multi-hit games (18) and multi-RBI games (9).
-Schild ended the season by reaching base in the final 12 games, including a nine-game hitting streak.
-Both of Monmouth's games today reached extra innings.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth concludes the season with a 27-29-1 record.
-The Hawks, in two games today, played for seven hours and 41 minutes.
-Michael Dimino took the loss, allowing the eventual winning baserunners.
-James Kelly allowed just a run on six hits through six innings.
-Ryan Steckline fanned five in relief.
-Eli Oliphant threw 3.1 shutout innings in relief to earn the win.

MU graduated 10 seniors this season and are set to return over 20 players to next year's roster.