April 23, 2014

9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Monmouth 1 0 0 3 1 0 4 0 0 9 14 0 Lafayette 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 9 4 Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) 2

EASTON, Pa. - Monmouth went ahead with three runs in the fourth inning and never relinquished the lead in a 9-2 win over Lafayette on Wednesday afternoon at Kamine Stadium.

The Hawks were backed by six strong innings by starting pitcher Jeff Singer, who moved to 3-3 overall after allowing one run on six hits and striking out four. Offensively, Monmouth totaled 14 hits, led by Grant Lamberton's 5-for-5 day at the plate.

Freshman Coleman Strohm made his first-career start on the mound for Lafayette and was solid over his three innings of work. The rookie allowed an unearned run in the first inning before being helped by his defense with a 6-4-3 double play in the second. Strohm sent Monmouth down in order in the third to complete his outing.

The Leopard right-hander earned a no-decision after Lafayette tied the score at 1-1 in the home half of the third. Back-to-back one-out base hits by Andrew Santomauro (double) and Jackson Kramer (single) put runners on the corners with one out as first baseman Alex Woinski stepped to the plate. Woinski came through by taking Singer's pitch deep enough to left field as Santomauro tagged and scored from third.

From there, Lafayette turned to left-hander Ryan Callanan, who was charged with the loss (1-1) after surrendering three runs on three Monmouth hits, including a bases-loaded single by Jon Guida that scored a pair. The Hawks loaded the bases with two outs when Callanan hit Chris Gaetano with a pitch, following a base knock by Lamberton and Craig Sweeney advancing to first on a wild pitch and strikeout. Before Guida's two-run single, Monmouth took the lead on an infield hit to shortstop by MU catcher Connor White.

Following a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth by Singer, Monmouth extended its lead to 5-1 on Jake Gronsky's double and a run-scoring hit by Sweeney. Gronsky's two-bagger off relief pitcher Cory Spera, who replaced Callanan with one down in the inning, got caught in the windy conditions and landed near the warning track behind Santomauro in centerfield.

The score held at 5-1 until Monmouth broke the game open in the top of the seventh. With men on second and third and nobody out for Lamberton, the Hawks' third baseman dropped a single into left field past the outstretched glove of Andrew Landolfi at shortstop, chasing home Sweeney, who walked to lead off the inning. A single to right by Gaetano loaded the bases and brought in Connor McMahon from the bullpen to replace Ari Kaufman. Kafuman ended up being responsible for four runs, three earned, over his 2/3 of an inning as Monmouth pushed its lead to 9-1 midway through the seventh inning.

Freshman Rob Ewald kept Monmouth off the board in the eighth for Lafayette prior to classmate Adam Ashenfarb tossing a scoreless ninth. The Maroon and White scored a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single up the middle by Victor D'Ascenzo.

With the victory, Monmouth improved to 12-19 on the season, while Lafayette dipped to 11-23.

Lafayette faces off with rival Lehigh on Saturday at noon in the start of a four-game Patriot League series. The two sides will play a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.