DELAND, FL. – The Monmouth University baseball team fell to the University of Virginia, 21-8 on Friday afternoon at Stetson University. The Hawks and Cavaliers battled back-and-forth before a big eighth inning allowed Virginia to pull away for the win.
 
Virginia scored four in the top of the first for the early lead in the contest. 
 
Monmouth got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first as Sam Saucke scored on an error. 
 
After Virginia pushed its lead to 5-1, the Hawks scored two in the bottom of the second. Wyatt Hunt and Chris Walsh had RBI singles. 
 
The Hawks pulled to within one in the bottom of the third. Saucke's single scored Brendan Buecker and made it a 5-4 game.
 
Virginia scored five runs over the next three innings and pushed its lead to 10-4.
 
Monmouth scored four times in the bottom of the seventh and made it a 10-8 game. Hunt and Simmi Whitehill had RBI base hits for the Hawks in that frame.
 
Virginia exploded for 11 runs in the eighth and claimed the 21-8 victory.
 
NOTES

• Wyatt Hunt had his first multi-hit game of the season and his second multi-RBI game.
• Sam Saucke scored three runs for the Hawks. It was his second game this season scoring three runs.
• Simmi Whitehill has hit safely in each of the first four games this season. 
• Chris Walsh has hit safely in three straight games for the Hawks. 
• Drew Yagodzinksie and Jimmy Bruno each made their first career appearances as a Hawk.
• Ryan Mealy started and struck out four batters. He has atleast four strikeouts in each of his first two starts this season. 

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks get right back to work as they face North Dakota State on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.