FINAL SCORE
Game One – 10 Innings                              
Penn State 6 (1-0)                                      
Monmouth 5 (0-1)                                        

Game Two 
Army 3 (1-0)
Monmouth 2 (0-2)

CARY, N.C. – The Monmouth University baseball team fell in a pair of hard-fought contests to open the season on Friday at the USA Baseball Training Complex in North Carolina. The Hawks suffered a 6-5 setback to Penn State in extra innings to start the day. Army used an eighth inning run to slip past Monmouth, 3-2 in the second game.
 
Game One Recap: Penn State scored four of the final five runs in the game to secure the 6-5 comeback win in 10 innings. 
 
The Hawks jumped out to an early lead as they scored the first three runs of the game. Eric Sabato scored the game's first run as he reached on an error and came around to score on a fielder's choice in the second. Joey Ventresca launched his first home run since the 2022 season in the third and the Hawks' lead grew to 3-0.
 
Penn State made it a 3-2 game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Monmouth put another run on the board in the top of the seventh and made it a 4-2 game. 
 
The Nittany Lions rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 4-4. 
 
In extra innings, Casey Caufield reached on error to start the top of the 10^th and Skyler Saunders came around to score. In the bottom of the 10^th, Penn State scored a run on a hit by a pitch to tie the game and claimed victory on a bases loaded walk.
 
Game Two Recap: Army scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth and held off the Hawks in the top of the ninth for the 3-2 win in game two.
 
The Black Knights took an early lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The Hawks tied the game up in the top of the third. Casey Caufield had a sac fly to left and Austin Denlinger added an RBI single for the Hawks. 
 
Pitching dominated the game for the next four innings as neither side was able to plate a run. 
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Army got a sac fly from Coleson Titus to take a 3-2 lead. 
 
The Hawks had a chance in the top of the ninth as they loaded the bases with one out but could not push one across.

NOTES
- Dylan Perry made his Hawks' debut in the opener against Penn State.
- Joey Ventresca's home run against Penn State was the first for the graduate student since the 2022 season. 
- Trey Porter, Kevin Opanel and Colin Ruddy all made their Monmouth debuts in gaem two against Army. 
- A pair of Hawks registered a multi-hit game on day one of the season (James Harmstead-2 against Penn State and Eric Sabato-2 against Army).

NUMBERS CRUNCH
Game One Numbers:
- Monmouth registered six hits to Penn State's seven in the opener. 
- The Hawks finished with three extra base hits against the Nittany Lions. In addition to Joey Ventresca's home run, the Hawks got doubles from James Harmstead and Harry Padden. 
- David Lee earned the win for Penn State with an inning of work. Jake Fraher took the loss for the Hawks after giving up two runs, one of which was earned, in a third of an inning.
- Drew Helmstetter made the start against Penn State and struck out three in four innings. 
 
Game Two Numbers:
- Monmouth had seven hits against Army while allowing just five. 
- Dylan Perry and Chris Andrews each had a stolen base for the Hawks on Friday.
- Andrew Berg earned the win in relief for Army as he went two innings and allowed just two hits. 
- Colin Ruddy took the loss for the Hawks after giving up one run in four innings of work with five strikeouts.
 
NEXT UP
Monmouth is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 17 when it faces Penn State at 4 p.m.