WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – James Harmstead and Dixon Black homered, but Marist College (21-14, 10-5 MAAC) used a nine-run fourth inning to defeat Monmouth University Baseball (18-19, 7-5 MAAC) Sunday, 13-6.
 
With two out and nobody on in the fourth, Marist strung together nine straight hits including a two-run home run from Gavin Noriega to plate nine runs. Dixon Black hit a solo homer in the bottom half to make it 9-1, and MU loaded the bases in the fifth for Harmstead, who launched a grand slam into the trees beyond the left field wall to cut it to a 9-5 game.
 
Marist scored two runs in both the seventh and ninth before a Casey Caufield RBI single followed a Nick Campana double in the ninth to cap the scoring at 13-6.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Need to regroup and prepare for next weekend.  We are halfway through conference play and must keep moving forward; all good teams left on the schedule." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
 
-Harmstead's grand slam was Monmouth's fourth this season, and Harmstead's second.
-Harmstead homered for the second game in a row, and leads MU and the MAAC with 13 this season.
-Nick Campana posted his second straight multi-hit game.
-Dixon Black's homer was his eighth of the season.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
 
-Rob Hensey took the loss, his sixth this season.
-Reed Interdonato threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
-Alex Pansini threw six innings to earn the win for Marist.
 
UP NEXT
-Monmouth is back in action on Friday against Rider on ESPN3 at 3:00 p.m.