WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Marist baseball team was swept by Monmouth in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday. The Red Foxes lost 2-0 in game one, and 3-1 in game two.

Junior first baseman Steve Laurino (Carle Place, N.Y.) led the Red Foxes offensively on the day by going 4-for-7 with an RBI.

Game One

Monmouth scored both the game's runs in the third inning, a frame in which the Hawks had five hits. Center fielder Steve Wilgus and second baseman Jake Gronsky had back-to-back RBI singles. However, the Red Foxes were able to limit the damage as sophomore right fielder Matt Pagano (Cranston, R.I.) threw out two runners at the plate in the third.

Marist had chances to score in the fourth and seventh. In the fourth, a double by freshman designated hitter Tyler Kirkpatrick (Eagleville, Pa.), followed by senior third baseman Nick McQuail (Wantagh, N.Y.) and senior left fielder Zachary Passerelle (Sparta, N.J.) getting hit by pitches, loaded the bases with one out. But Monmouth's Andrew McGee had back-to-back strikeouts to escape the game.

In the seventh, Marist had three hits, and had runners on first and second with none out after back-to-back singles by Passerelle and Laurino. But McGee induced a lineout double play and recorded an inning-ending strikeout.

McGee (2-3) went the distance for Monmouth, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out six. For Marist, senior left-hander Jordan Eich (Spencerport, N.Y.) pitched a complete game as well. Eich scattered seven hits and struck out four. His record fell to 1-3.

Game Two

After Monmouth took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Red Foxes tied the game in their half of the fourth on three straight singles by McQuail, Passerelle and Laurino. The single by Laurino, which went to center field, brought home McQuail from second.

Monmouth took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles off the bats of Gronsky and right fielder Craig Sweeney.

Freshman right-hander Scott Boches (Feasterville, Pa.) took the loss to fall to 2-1. Boches went the first 4.2 innings, and struck out three. Junior right-hander Chris Napolitano (Wall, N.J.) went the final 1.1 innings, and had three strikeouts, no walks and no hits allowed.

Right-hander T.J. Hunt went the distance for Monmouth, and is now 2-2. Hunt allowed six hits, did not walk anyone and struck out seven.

Marist is now 5-13 overall and 0-2 in MAAC play; Monmouth is 5-11 overall and 2-0 in the MAAC.

Marist and Monmouth will wrap up their three-game series with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon.