WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth University Baseball Team (7-1, 7-1 MAAC) completed a rare feat on Monday, winning three times to sweep a four-game weekend set from Manhattan College (0-4, 0-4 MAAC). MU completed four innings of a halted game, winning 3-1, before posting another 3-1 victory and a 10-0 triumph before the day was over. Monmouth has now won seven games in a row, while MU pitching allowed just two total runs all weekend.
 
Monmouth entered the day with a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth of last night's halted contest after taking the lead on the power of two bases-loaded walks. Dixon Black (Archbald, PA/Valley View) tripled leading off the eighth, and Dennis Filipovski (Ormond Beach, FL/Seabreeze/St. Petersburg College) singled him home as Regan Dombroski (Manasquan, NJ/Wall) threw four perfect innings in relief to earn the save, fanning seven.
 
Alex Barker (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) made his home debut on the mound in the third game of the weekend, and ultimately struck out eight across five shutout innings. The Hawks got him some run support in the fourth, scoring after a walk and a sac bunt that saw a throw wide of first, enabling Harry Padden (Pittsgrove, NJ/AP Schalick) to come across with the first run of the game. Johnny Zega (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) followed with a sac fly, and James Harmstead (Manasquan, NJ/Manasquan) doubled down the left field line and came around to score on a fielder's choice to give MU a 3-0 lead. Danny Long (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) came on to throw the final two innings, with Manhattan getting a run in the seventh but nothing more.
 
Rob Hensey (Campbell Hall, NY/Goshen) dazzled in the final game, striking out a career-high 11 in his first start of the year. He got it started immediately, striking out the side in the first, and MU got a pair on a wild pitch and a Harmstead RBI single in the bottom half. The Hawks added single runs in the third and fifth, both on fielder's choices, as Hensey continued to mow down the Manhattan lineup, not allowing a runner past second all afternoon. MU then exploded in the eighth, with Joey Ventresca (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional) singling in a run and scoring on a wild pitch. An RBI ground out from Barker made it 7-0 before Black went to the opposite field for his first home run, and one that ended the game via the newly adopted mercy rule.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES


"Great weekend for our guys.  Obviously, we are excited to be playing at home, it has been a while. Our energy was great this weekend.  We pitched well this weekend and were opportunistic on offense. I am extremely happy for our players. Regan was outstanding to start the day; he completed the halted game in which his brother started yesterday. Barker and Long were solid in the 7-inning game; offensively we manufactured enough runs. In the second game today, we scored 2 early and Rob Hensey threw the ball very well. Offensively we had contributions from many and our pitchers pounded the zone in the series. We want to build off of our first two weekends and look forward to getting back out next weekend." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
 
-MU won three times in one day on Monday, with three games concluding in a span of eight hours.
-Monmouth allowed just two runs in the four-game sweep.
-Hawk pitching walked just two total batters in the four games.
-MU pitchers racked up 42 strikeouts in the sweep, including 28 today.
-Regan Dombroski's seven K's are tied for the second most in a game in his career.
-Alex Barker's eight K's are a career high.
-Danny Long picked up his third career save, and first since 2018.
-Rob Hensey's 11 strikeouts were the most in a game by a Hawk since Frank Trimarco had 13 at Iona on May 7, 2016.
-James Harmstead totaled four hits on the day.
-Joey Ventresca and Cory Hiltz made their home MU debuts.
-Dixon Black hit his first career home run and the only homer of the weekend to end the finsl game.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-In the halted game, MU outhit Manhattan 8-4.
-Monmouth had nine hits to Manhattan's four in the final contest.
-MU used eight total pitchers on the weekend, four per game.
-Monmouth is the first MAAC team to seven wins.
 
UP NEXT
-Monmouth remains home, and will host Siena this coming Friday for a pair beginning at noon.