FINAL SCORE
NJIT 5 (22-25)
Monmouth 4 (17-28)
 
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. – NJIT scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to secure a 5-4 comeback win over the Monmouth University baseball team on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
The Hawks took the early lead in the game as Phil Stahl led off the second with a long home run to right center. 
 
NJIT answered back with a run in the bottom half of that frame that tied the game at 1-1. 
 
Monmouth went back on top in the top of the fifth. Brendan Buecker reached on a walk and came around to score on Harry Padden's two-out single, which made it a 2-1 game. 
 
The Highlanders tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh. NJIT was trying to add on but Casey Caufield's throw from left field was on the line and Buecker was able to tag out the runner at the plate to end the inning. 
 
Back-to-back walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs for the Hawks in the top of the eighth. Caufield laced a ball through the right side that scored Chris Andrews and Joey Ventresca and made it a 4-2 game. 
 
NJIT scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and took a 5-4 lead. Nick Vega hit a two-run home run to highlight the action. 
 
Padden reached after being hit by a pitch in the ninth but was stranded on the bases as NJIT got a pair of fly balls to close out a 5-4 win.
 
NOTES
- It was the 13th meeting all-time between the Hawks and Highlanders. Monmouth leads the all-time series 12-1.
- It was the fourth meeting of the season for the Hawks against an in-state foe (Seton Hall, Princeton, Rutgers, NJIT).
- Harry Padden's fifth inning single gave him 100 hits for his career. Padden is the fourth Hawk to reach the 100 career hits mark this season (Casey Caufield, Austin Denlinger, Phil Stahl, Harry Padden). 
- Phil Stahl's second inning home run extended his current hit streak to a season-best 13 games. 
- Casey Caufield had a pair of hits to extend his current hit streak to five straight games. It's his fourth hit streak of at least five games this season. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH
- NJIT finished with an 8-7 edge in hits in the game.
- The Hawks finished with three stolen bases to NJIT's one in the contest.
- Colin Kidd earned the win for NJIT after surrendering two runs on one hit in one inning of work. 
- Tommy Kent suffered the loss for the Hawks after giving up one run on one hit in 0.1 innings of work.
 
NEXT UP
Monmouth wraps up the regular season when it visits Hofstra for a three-game set starting Thursday, May 16.