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 Matt Fitton had his best outing of the season on the mound for the Pioneers Saturday. |
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April 6, 2008
BRIDGEPORT, CT - Andy Meyers drove in the winning run with a single to right in the top of the 11th inning in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday, helping the Monmouth Hawks to a 5-4 in over Sacred Heart and complete a sweep of the four-game Northeast Conference series. The Hawks won the first game 17-0.
Freshman Matt Fitton started on the mound in the second game for the Pioneers and blanked Monmouth for the first five innings. SHU was staked to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI ground out by Mike Drowne that scored Ryan Lynch.
With one out in the sixth, Fitton hit Meyers with a pitch. Paul Bottigliaro followed with a single. The Hawks executed a double steal and Nick Pulsonetti singled to left to give Monmouth a 2-1 lead. Fitton got the next batter to pop up for the second out, but he walked Chris Collazo to put two runners on. Chris Barthel came on in relief and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but got John Dennis to ground out to end the inning.
The Pioneers scored three times in the bottom of the sixth off Monmouth starter Brett Brach to retake the lead, 4-2. Tyler Santos and Lynch had RBI hits in the inning and Paul Schmidt drove in the third with a ground ball to short that was booted.
Monmouth, 13-8 and 4-0 in the conference, tied the game with two runs in the eighth of Barthel. Pulsenetti and Rick Niederhaus led off the frame with consecutive singles. A sacrifice by Collazo, followed by an RBI grounder had the Hawks within a run. Pinch hitter Tim McEndy tied the game with a single to right that scored Neiderhaus.
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In the meantime, Justin Esposito came on in relief with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. He retired Chris Whittmore and Drowne to end the threat. He finished the game with 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball to pick up his first win of the season.
In the opener, Monmouth pounded out 17 hits and scored in every inning in blanking the Pioneers 17-0. Monmouth starter Ryan Buch allowed just one hit - a single to center by Phil Tantillo with one out in the six. He struck out 14 and walked two.
