Monmouth University The Monmouth University baseball team ran its win streak to five by defeating Quinnipiac, 7-3, on April 7 in West Long Branch.
The Hawks improved to 18-12 on the season and 9-3 in the Northeast Conference thanks to a series sweep of Quinnipiac.
Monmouth scored seven runs over the first three innings and en route to its 7-3 over Quinnipiac to complete its four-game sweep of the series with the Bobcats. Starter Dan Smith (Cherokee) collected his fourth win of the season, while Owen Stewart (Howell/ St. Rose) and Jon Guida (Bridgewater Raritan) contributed two RBIs each for the Blue and White.
Monmouth started quickly in the game with the first four batters in the line-up all off Quinnipiac’s starter Kevin O’Connell. Ed Martin (Raritan /Brookdale) took a 1- 0 offering to right field for a stand-up double to start the inning and senior classmate Jamie Rosenkranz (Ocean Township) moved himto third on a single. Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) brought Martin home on a base hit up the middle and Danny Avella (Matawan/Christian Brothers Academy) followed with a base knock of his own to load the bases. Chris Perret (Morris Catholic) worked a walk to score Rosenkranz, Stewart grounded out, plating Gronsky, and Guida’s sacrifice fly to center that allowedAvella to cross home gave the Hawks an early 4-0 lead.
It became 7-0 in the bottom of the third as the Hawks pushed three more runs home, Gronsky started it with a single and advanced to third on Avella’s double to right field. After a pitching change, Stewart grounded out, which allowed Gronsky to score and Guida followed with an RBI single to left, scoringAvella. Guidas scored the seventh run when Josh Boyd (West Morris Central) hit a fly ball that was mishandled by the right fielder.
Quinnipiac cut into MU’s lead in the seventh, scoring three on three hits and an error, but, it was too little, too late.
Martin, Gronsky, andAvella each registered two hits for the Blue and White, which scattered 11 base knocks on the afternoon.
Smith scattered six hits, yielding one earned run, while fanning five Bobcats to even his record at 4-4. Joe Loiodice (Forest Hill, Md./John Carroll) worked a perfect inning with a punch-out while rookie Charlie Battis (Hamilton, N.J./Notre Dame) threw a one-hit ninth.
Monmouth began the win streak with a 7-2 win over Lafayette on April 4. It was a milestone victory for Hawks’ head Dean Ehehalt as he earned the 500th win of his career at
Monmouth. This is 19th season at
MU.
The win over Lafayette was followed by four-straight over the visiting Bobcats, 11-4, (April 5) 4-1, 6-1 (April 6) and 7-2 (April 7).
Ex-Spartan Rosenkranz, a senior, is the Hawks leading hitter through the first 30 games with a .331 batting average; he also leads in hits (41) and runs scored (27). Avella is the RBI lead with 26 and also has the most home runs (four).
Pat Light (Colts Neck/Christian Brothers Academy) leads in wins (five) and ERA (2.88). He’s 5-2.
Monmouth was scheduled to play Temple onApril 10 before embarking on a fivegame road-swing hitting the road for five-straight. The road trip will include four games with NEC foe Central Connecticut State, April 13-15.
The Hawks will return home on April 17 to host Rutgers University.