LOUDONVILLE, NY – Four pitchers combined to allow just two hits as Monmouth University Baseball (23-22, 11-7 MAAC) racked up 17 hits in a shutout of Siena College (10-33, 7-12) Friday, 11-0. James Harmstead led the offensive charge with four hits and four RBI's, while Casey Caufield added four hits and scored three times.
 
Dan Klepchick set down 15 of the 16 batters he faced, save for one error and a hit in the second inning. Harmstead got him a lead on a hard hit infield single in the second, scoring two after an error on the play enabled a second run. MU scratched across single runs in the fifth and sixth on RBI hits by Chris Andrews and Caufield, and leading 4-0, Alex Barker struck out the final batter of the seventh to leave the bases loaded with Saints.
 
MU broke it open with five in the eighth, led by a three-run double on a ball to center from Harmstead. MU would add on with a Nick Campana infield hit to score a run and a wild pitch to extend the lead to 9-0. Ryan Bearse and Jake Fraher worked scoreless innings to close it out as the Hawks plated two more in the ninth to win it 11-0.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES

"Excellent way to start the series. Klep came out ready to go and provided us with a very veteran like performance, we made the plays on defense, ran the bases aggressively and our lineup manufactured some runs in the first half of the game. Offensively, we had very balanced contributions with Casey, Dixon, James and Nick leading the way. The four of them swung the bats exceptionally well today. Real proud of the effort and focus today, the guys dug in and competed well. Barker, Bearse and Fraher closed out a two-hitter for our pitchers. Congratulations to our pitching staff as well; breaking the school record for strikeouts." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
 
-Monmouth's pitching staff recorded its 387^th strikeout of the season to set the program's single-season record. It came on a Dan Klepchick K in the fifth.
-Dan Klepchick's first strikeout to end the first inning was his 235^th in his career, moving him to second in career K's alone.
-11 runs is the most Monmouth has scored in league play this season.
-The two hits allowed is the least all season, and least since a one-hitter last April 14 vs. Rider.
-This marked MU's second shutout of the season.
-Harmstead posted his third four-hit game and four-RBI game of the season.
-Casey Caufield's four hits marks a career high.
-Monmouth has now won three in a row over Siena.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outhit Siena 17-2.
-Siena made three of the four errors in the game.
-Dan Klepchick earned the win with five one-hit, shutout innings.
-Alex Barker delivered two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
-Arlo Marynczak took the loss in six innings for Siena.
 
UP NEXT
-The teams continue the series tomorrow with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.