April 12, 2008

Box Score

Staten Island, NY - Monmouth picked up its second-straight shutout win over Wagner with a narrow 1-0 win in game one of today's doubleheader at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. With the victory, Monmouth extends its school-record winning streak to 15 and is now 17-8 and a perfect 6-0 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) while the Seahawks are 12-14 and 4-2 in the NEC.

Senior Joe Testa (Brick, NJ / Brick) was the hard-luck loser striking out six in a complete-game seven inning effort. The hard-throwing lefty yielded just one unearned run on four hits and two walks while falling to 3-4 on the year.

Monmouth RHP Ryan Buch improved to 4-1, striking out six while allowing just two hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. Justin Esposito entered pitched 1.2 hitless innings for his NEC-best sixth save of the year.

The Hawks clawed an unearned run in the third inning to provide the difference in game one. Ryan Terry reached on a throwing error and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt before scoring on a Nick Pulsonetti RBI single through the right side.

Through the first five frames, the Seahawks could muster just two hits, once of which was erased on a double-play.

Wagner would mount a threat in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon) drew a full-count walk. He moved over to second on a ground out before freshman Damian Csakai (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) walked and sophomore Chris Drechsel (Cranford, NJ / Cranford) was hit by a pitch. Esposito then entered the game and promptly induced an inning-ending double play ball.

Sophomore Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) and freshman Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) recorded the only hits in the game for the Green & White.

Kyle Higgins recorded three of Monmouth's four hits to pace the Hawks.