WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey - Marist baseball (12-16, 3-2 MAAC) won both games of the Saturday doubleheader at Monmouth (11-16-1, 2-3 MAAC). Game one lasted 11 competitive innings before
Anthony Lazar scored the go-ahead run, but game two was dominated by the Red Foxes for the seven innings of play as Lazar kept up his momentum with a pair of back-to-back homers.
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- Monmouth took the early lead with an RBI-single in the second.
- Tyler Kapuscinski answered back with an RBI-single to center field of his own in the third to tie the game. Gene Napolitano reached home.
- Frankie Gregoire blasted a solo homer past left field in the fourth to push Marist into the lead.
- Kapuscinski came back in the fifth and smashed a two-run homer to right field to give the Red Foxes a 4-1 advantage. Anthony Lazar was driven home.
- In the fifth, the Hawks tallied another RBI-single to cut down on the scoring deficit.
- Randy Taveras batted in Brian Hart in the seventh so the Red Foxes led 5-2.
- Monmouth racked up three runs in the seventh to tie the game.
- The teams remained tied until the top of the eleventh, when Lazar reached home on a wild pitch. The Hawks were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning and were defeated.
- Frankie Gregoire's homer was the sixth of his season and 30th of his career.
- Skyler Pichardo tossed a career-high six innings and punched out a career-high 10 batters to limit the Monmouth offense for most of the game. He let up seven hits and just two runs.
- Tyler Kapuscinski's long ball was his second of the season. He went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and three walks.
- Conor McNamara earned the win on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings of relief and striking out seven while holding Monmouth to two hits. He was instrumental in the critical overtime innings.
- Randy Taveras got the ball rolling in the first for the Red Foxes with a sac-fly to score Lazar's first run of the game.
- Gregoire doubled to left center to drive in Robbie Armitage and give Marist a 2-0 advantage.
- Monmouth scored their only run of the day in the second inning on an RBI-double by Matt Graber.
- Anthony Lazar smashed a home run in the third, and then another one on his very next appearance at the plate in the fourth to score a total of three runs. Niko Amory was driven home.
- Tyler Kapuscinski added an RBI-single in the sixth for good measure to score Nick Cantone. The Red Foxes held their 6-1 lead through the end of the seventh and took the victory.
- Tony Romanelli went the distance on the mound, allowing only two hits in seven innings. He walked one and allowed one earned run while fanning four batters.
- Anthony Lazar had his best game of the season, going 3-for-4 with the two homers and three RBIs.
- Tyler Kapuscinski had another strong game, going 3-for-4 for with an RBI as well.
The final game of the series takes place tomorrow at noon, and will be streamed on ESPN3.
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