Hawks looking every bit like the team to beat

As the Monmouth University baseball team was walking off the field at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport Connecticut on Sunday, there were a lot of people who were happy to see them board a bus and head back toWest Long Branch.

Perhaps no one was happier with the Hawks' exit than the Sacred Heart University baseball team, who in two days lost four straight games to a Monmouth team that is once again looking like the team to beat in the Northeast Conference.

With a win over Big East power Rutgers on Wednesday, along with the four wins over the weekend, the defending conference champion Hawks increased their winning streak to 11 games, an improved their record to 13-8 overall, and 4-0 in the conference. For a team that struggled a bit with consistency both on the mound and at the plate early on this year, the Hawks have certainly turned things around in a hurry. The Hawks are coming off a 36-24- 1 (17-10 in conference) season, which was led by a stellar pitching staff.

And with many of the same faces back this year, the Hawks were the NEC coaches' pick to capture the NEC once again this year.

Now, four games into theNECslate, they are looking every bit as good as advertised.

Against Rutgers (8-15), sophomore Nick Valillo, of Old Tappan, was the hero as he came in and tossed three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

Monmouth, which loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, packed the bags in the second with no outs, and Chris Collazo, who led off with a walk scored on a wild pitch from Rutgers' starter Tony Wargo, making the score 1-0. Wargo, who walked three in the frame was then lifted with the bags full, after a free pass was issued to Kyle Higgins (Green Brook).

Freshman Ryan Terry (Levittown, Pa.) then greeted Dale Hering, making his collegiate debut, with a single through the left side, put the Hawks ahead 2-0. The Blue and White pushed the lead to 4-0 when Paul Bottigliero (Milford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch, forcing in John Dennis (Union), and Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan) fielder's choice drove in another run.

The Scarlet Knights evened the contest in the top of the fifth inning, whenMonroe's Jarred Jimenez tripled off of Andy McDonnell (Newton Square, Pa.) with the bases loaded to knot the game at 4-4. McDonnell came on in relief of starter Brett Conner (Shelton, Conn.) with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Hawks then retook the lead with one out in the bottom of the sixth as Stratford's Andy Myers grounded into an apparent double play, but no one covered first and the senior was safe, plating Higgins from third to make the score 5-4. MU tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh inning asHiggins drove in Brett Holland (Pittsburgh, Pa.).On the play,Monmouth attempted to add another run but Collazo was thrown out by Jimenez, trying to score.

The Hawks then turned to their star closer from last year, Middletown North grad Justin Esposito, a senior. Esposito, who led the conference in saves with 10 a year ago, striking out 21 batters in 21.1 innings of work, came on in the top of the ninth looking to nail down the save, but was chased after Rutgers scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Dan Betteridge. Freehold Township's sophomore Brett Brach came on to record the final two outs, including a final out strikeout, for his second save of the season.

Conner, making his first start since the 2005 season, worked 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Vallillo, who earned his first win of the season, allowed no hits, while striking out four over his three frames.

Higgins, who walked three times in the leadoff spot, went 2-for-2 with two runs scored to pace the Hawks' offense. Holland, who has 11 hits over his last four games, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to push his average up to .340 on the year.

Following the emotional win over their in-state rivals, the Hawks traveled to Connecticut to open the NEC slate on Saturday, and did so with style.

The Hawks' pitching staff tossed 16 shutout innings, allowing a total of 14 hits, all of which were singles, in the two games. In game one, the Hawks pounded out 15 hits, en route to the 12-0 victory, as senior Brad Brach, of Freehold Township, and sophomore McDonnell combined for a ninehit shutout forMonmouth, allowing no extra base hits. The nightcap saw the Blue and White register a second 12-0 win, as senior lefty Matt Marc-Aurele (of Wayne) tossed a complete game shutout, scattering five hits (all singles), with six strikeouts.

In the first game, a nine-run third inning put the Hawks in front 11-0, as

Monmouth registered six hits in the frame, including an RBI single from

Meyers, a Holland RBI double and a three-run homer fromRyan Terry. Higgins, who led off the inning with a double and a run scored, also added an RBI single in the frame, and scored on Terry's second home run of the season. Bottigliero also recorded a single and a walk in the inning for the Hawks.

Monmouth pushed its advantage to 12- 0 in the fifth when Meyers lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Higgins. Brach, who struck out a season-best nine batters, worked seven scoreless innings, allowing seven hits to the Pioneers, while walking just one. Brach, who improved to 2-1 on the season, increased his Monmouth win record to 23 victories. McDonnell worked two shutout innings to close the game for the Hawks, allowing a single in each frame.

Higgins went 4-for-6 with four runs scored in the leadoff spot for the Hawks, while Terry and Meyers each added three hits and three RBIs.

In the second game, Marc-Aurele (1-1) earned the win for the Blue and White, his first complete game since the 2006 season. Higgins, Pulsonetti, Rick Niederhaus (Whitehouse Station) and Dennis each collected two hits, as Monmouth recorded 13 base knocks in the contest. Dennis and Holland drove in three runs apiece for the Hawks, while Pulsonetti scored a game-high four runs. Sunday's action was just as lopsided, at first. Yardley, Pa.'s Ryan Buch's complete game shutout ledMonmouth to a 17-0 win in game one, before Meyers' RBI single in the 11th inning, paired with Esposito's seven-strikeout relief performance paced the Hawks to a 5-4 victory in the nightcap.

In game one, Monmouth scored in every inning, including multiple runs in each of the first five frames, en route to a 17-0 win. Buch struck out a career-best 14 batters, as the righty earned his third win with a complete game, one-hitter. Buch, who allowed just a single to center in the sixth inning, improved to 3-1 on the season with his first career shutout. MU pounded out 17 hits in the first game, as the Hawks registered six doubles and a triple, en route to the victory.

Higgins went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Blue and White, while Meyers added three hits and two RBIs. Pulsonetti, Niederhaus, Collazo and Bottigliero contributed two hits apiece, while Niederhaus and Bottigliero drove in three runs each. In the second game (the only competitive game of the weekend) Sacred Heart broke through first, plating its first run of the series in second inning off Monmouth starter Brett Brach. A leadoff single, which was followed by a double and an RBI groundout, led to the early 1-0 lead for the Pioneers.

Monmouth rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth frame, when Pulsonetti delivered a two-run single, which drove in both Meyers and Bottigliero, before the Hawks stranded the bases loaded.

SHU answered with a three-run bottom of the sixth, as the Pioneers used four hits and aMonmouth error to reclaim a 4- 2 lead. The Hawks knotted the score at 4- 4 in the eighth frame when Pulsonetti and Niederhaus led off with back-to-back singles. After both runners were sacrificed into scoring position by Collazo, Holland's ground out pulled Monmouth within a run, and Matt McEndy's pinch-hit single to right tied the game.

Despite allowing singles in each of the ninth and 10th innings, Esposito struck out five batters, and was helped by Edison's Cal Costanzo gunning down a Pioneer attempting to steal, to preserve the tie.

Meyers' run-scoring, two-out single to right field, which drove in Higgins, put the Hawks in front 5-4, before Esposito worked a perfect 11th with two strikeouts, to end the game.

Esposito (1-0) worked 3.2 innings, allowing two hits, while striking out a career-best seven batters to earn the win. Brach, in his fourth start of the season, worked 5.1 frames, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out four. Senior Tim Dexter, of South River, tossed two scoreless frames for Monmouth, with four strikeouts, as well. Higgins, Terry, Pulsonetti and Bottigliero each collected two hits in the second game, as Monmouth outhit the Pioneers 11-9.

With their recent resurgence, the Hawks are beginning to put up some gaudy offensive numbers. Monmouth is batting .309 as a team, led by Higgins (.374), Bottigliero (.349), Meyers (.341), Pulsonetti (.368), Holland (.340) and senior Shawn Teters (of Springdale, Ariz.), who is hitting .339.

Higgins leads the team with 37 hits, while Pulsonetti and Meyers have been the team's big RBI guys, with 24 and 21 respectively. Pulsonetti also leads the team with his four home runs.

On the hill, Monmouth is collectively pitching to a 4.53 ERA, with Brad Brach (2-1, 3.19), Esposito (1-0, 3.45), Buch (3-1, 4.42) and Marc-Aurele (1-1, 2.30) getting most of the work.

Monmouth, which has had double-digit win streaks four times in the last four seasons, returned to action on Tuesday, when the Hawks traveled to Princeton University for a nonconference game. Next up for Monmouth is today's home game against Lafayette, followed by a weekend three-game series with Wagner in Staten Island. Wagner is coming off a 17-34 season, and was picked to finish sixth in the NEC. However, Wagner can play with anyone when Brick Township grad Joe Testa is on the mound. Testa, who struck out 82 batters in 80.1 innings of work a year ago. Offensively, Wagner is led by CBA grad Vin Avella, a sophomore first baseman who blasted seven home runs a year ago and is looking even stronger this season.