March 30, 2008

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Monmouth overcame an early 4-3 deficit with eight runs in the third inning and seven runs in the fourth en route to a 26-5 baseball win Sunday afternoon at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

The win completed a three-game weekend series sweep over NJIT for Monmouth, which defeated the Highlanders in single games on Friday and Saturday in West Long Branch, NJ.

The Highlanders, trailing 3-0 before they ever got to bat, fought back with two runs in the first inning and then took the lead on senior C Chris Cardone's two-run homer in the bottom of the second.

But Monmouth sent 13 men to the plate and scored eight runs in the third inning and then sent up 12 men and scored seven runs in the fourth inning. In all, the Hawks pounded out 24 hits, including three home runs, a triple and two doubles against a succession of six NJIT pitchers.

Seven Hawks had multiple-hit games, led by LF Nick Pulsonetti, who was 5-for-6, with a triple and a home run, along with five runs batted in and four runs scored. Pulsonetti had a run-scoring triple in the third inning and then powered a three-run homer in the fourth. He also singled home Monmouth's third run in the first inning.

1B Andy Meyers, 3B Ryan Terry and CF Brett Holland all collected three hits each for Monmouth. Meyers, who drove in five runs in the game, hit a two-run homer to start the scoring in his team's big third inning. Terry hit a two-run shot to cap the third-inning scoring. And Holland, who did not come into the game until the seventh inning, finished 3-for-3 with four runs batted in.

Reliever RHP Tim Ballard (1-0) was credited with the win after entering the game with one out in the second inning and a 4-3 deficit in the wake of Cardone's home run off of starting RHP Brett Brach.

Ballard pitched 2.2 scoreless, hitless inning of relief, striking out three and walking one. Ballard was the second of seven pitchers for Monmouth, which used one reliever an inning for the last five innings of the win.

Monmouth, a 2007 NCAA Division I postseason qualifier, has now won its last five games, including wins in West Long Branch, NJ, over the Highlanders on Friday and Saturday.

The starting and losing pitcher for NJIT was senior LHP Cory Kuzmik (1-5), who allowed three runs in the first inning, put up a one-two-three second inning and then was knocked out of the game with two outs in the third. He allowed eight hits and was charged with 10 runs.

The top hitters for NJIT were Cardone and senior DH Matt Schlitter. Cardone (2-for-4) was the only Highlander with more than one hit. His second-inning home run was his second homer of the season. Schlitter was 1-for-2 and drove in two runs--the first on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and the second on a two-out single down the right field line in the fifth inning.

Aside from Cardone's two-run blast that provided NJIT's short-lived 4-3 lead, the Highlanders highlight came from sophomore 1B Kyle McCarthy, who entered the game in the sixth inning and turned two Monmouth line drives into unassisted double plays in the sixth and eighth innings.

NJIT will go on the road next, visiting Lafayette for a single game on Wednesday at 3 pm.