TEANECK, NJ – Monmouth University Baseball (6-5) got two home runs from James Harmstead and MU pitching allowed just five hits as the Hawks topped Fairleigh Dickinson University (2-10) on Tuesday afternoon 6-2.
 
Monmouth got on the board in the second with a pair of bases loaded walks before Harmstead launched his second homer in as many games in the third, a solo shot to stake MU to a 2-0 lead. Joey Ventresca's RBI single made it 4-0 before the Knights broke through in the sixth on a Sosa home run, just their second hit of the afternoon.
 
Harmstead got that run right back in the seventh, hitting his second home run of the game to make it 5-1. Dixon Black doubled down the left field line in the eighth to make it 6-1 as MU topped FDU on the afternoon 6-2.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES

"Our first midweek since 2020. Solid team win today; the pitching was excellent and we played good defense. Ryan Bearse set the tone and we were able to score a few early. Ryan, Hiltz, Ciaramella and Fraher threw the ball well, which was nice to see. Harmstead had a solid game at the plate for us. It was nice to see Bant make the most of his first start- a nice play on D and his first career hit." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
 
-Harmstead's two homers marked his first career multi-home run game and the first for a Hawk since Dixon Black had two against Siena on May 21, 2021.
-This marked Monmouth's first midweek contest since March 10, 2020 at Rutgers.
-Ryan Bearse made his first career start, tossing two perfect innings.
-Dixon Black made his first career appearance on the mound in the ninth.
-Jay Bant notched his first career hit, a double in his first ever start.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU outhit FDU 9-5.
-Dante Ciaramella worked three innings, striking out three.
-Ryan Bearse, Cory Hiltz and Jake Fraher combined for five scoreless innings.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth opens a three-game series at VCU on Friday at 3:00 p.m.