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Monmouth University Athletics

Simmi Whitehill swings at the plate in a gray uniform and blue hat
Keith Lucas
Simmi Whitehill had the game-winning RBI against Richmond.
4
Winner Monmouth MONM 0-1
3
Richmond RICH 1-0
Winner
Monmouth MONM
0-1
4
Final
3
Richmond RICH
1-0
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Monmouth MONM 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 11 0
Richmond RICH 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 8 0

W: Opanel, Kevin (1-0) L: Gay, Justin (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Whitehill's Hit in the Ninth Lifts Hawks Over Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. – Simmi Whitehill's two-out RBI bunt single in the ninth inning helped power the Monmouth University baseball team to a 4-3 win over the University of Richmond, in the season opener for both squads. 
 
The Hawks (1-0) got on the board in the top of the first. Sam Saucke lined the second pitch of his collegiate career into center for a single. He scored on an RJ Mustaro one-out base hit. 
 
Monmouth added to its lead in the top of the third as Chris Walsh had a sac fly that scored Saucke before Brendan Buecker delivered an RBI single. The Hawks led 3-0 through two and a half innings of play. 
 
Ryan Mealy cruised through the first four innings on the mound for the Hawks. He allowed just three baserunners and a striking out five in that stretch. 
 
Richmond reached Mealy for a run in the bottom of the fifth but the Hawks got out of trouble in the frame thanks to a double play involving centerfield Colin Richter and Buecker at the plate. 
 
The Spiders reached Kevin Opanel, who started the inning in relief, for a pair of runs in the sixth. That tied the game at 3-3. 
 
In the top of the ninth, Saucke led off with a double, his fourth base knock of the day. He stole third and scored on Whitehill's bunt base hit. That gave the visitors a 4-3 edge. 
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Richmond got a runner on with two outs. Opanel was able to get the final out to preserve the victory.
 
Notes
  • The Hawks have now won back-to-back season openers under Head Coach Dean Ehehalt.
  • Sam Saucke went 4-for-5 with three runs scored in his collegiate debut. Saucke is the first Hawk to have four hits in a game since Jay Bant did so against Rutgers last spring.
  • Four players made their Monmouth debuts in the game (Sam Saucke, RJ Mustaro, Colin Richter and Robert Kelly). 
  • Ryan Mealy registered five strikeouts in the game. It was his sixth game of his career with five or more strikeouts.
  • Kevin Opanel who scattered four hits and two runs over the final four innings earned his first win of the season and sixth of his Monmouth career. 
Up Next
  • The Hawks and Spiders will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 10 am.
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