Freshman infielder Sam Saucke was named CAA Rookie of the Week after Monmouth Baseball was swept in a doubleheader following a win on opening day in a series against Richmond to start the season at 1-2.
Saucke hit .500 in college ball debut, starting in each of the Hawks’ first three games. Across his 14 plate appearances, the shortstop reached base eight times, including two doubles and six hits. Saucke also led-off the second game of the Hawks doubleheader with a homerun to left field. By the end of the weekend, he put together a .917 slugging percentage and stole a base. Saucke also flashed his leather, putting together a .929 fielding percentage.
Monmouth started the scoring with moves from some of the newly acquired Hawks against Richmond starter Jackson Hinchliffe, a junior righty. Saucke scored on a single to shallow left from junior right fielder and recent transfer RJ Mustaro in the first inning. Saucke scored again in the third off a sac-fly from junior first baseman Chris Walsh, which also advanced junior second baseman Wyatt Hunt, to third base. Hunt was sent home on a single to left from junior catcher Brendan Buecker. After three innings, Monmouth led 3-0.
It was sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Mealy who got the start for the Hawks and held the Spiders scoreless through the first four. Mealy put up a strong performance until the fifth inning where he began to struggle with his location. He still only gave up one run to the Spiders. Senior second baseman Micheal Elko scored on a single to left from sophomore right fielder Trevor Dosenbach. The inning ended with an 8-2 double play that started with freshman shortstop Noah Haught flying out to sophomore center fielder Colin Richter. Richmond’s Ryan Recio tagged up from third and was tagged out at home by Buecker, who reached behind himself to tag Recio for the final out.
The Spiders continued their offensive push in the bottom of the sixth against fifth-year right handed pitcher Kevin Opanel. They opened the inning with a lead-off double to right from graduate center fielder RJ Johnson. He was sent home on a single to left center from graduate left fielder Khris Morris. The Spiders continued small ball and scored another run before the inning ended. This inning allowed the Spiders to tie the game.
In the top of the ninth, the Hawks got their go ahead run sent home by senior third baseman Simmi Whitehill. Saucke scored on Whitehill’s bunt induced infield single. Monmouth held on for a 4-3 opening day victory. Opanel came away with the win while Saucke made his college debut a special one, going 4-5 at the plate and scoring three of the Hawks runs.
Monmouth was unable to carry momentum over into Saturday’s double header. The first game the Hawks found themselves in a 5-1 deficit after the second inning. Senior right-handed pitcher Austin Beard had the morning start for the Hawks, however he was only able to get through 1.2 innings. He gave up five runs in that time before being relieved by junior right-hander Stefan Swee. Whitehill scored the Hawks run off a wild pitch from Richmond’s Joey Giordano.
The Hawks scored two more in the top of the third and then another in the fourth to make it a 5-4 game in favor of the Spiders. Going into the bottom of the fourth, Monmouth made a pitching change, sending graduate righty Alex Couture to the mound. Richmond extended their lead to three, leading the Hawks 7-4. Monmouth scored one run in the top of the sixth to make it 7-5, and that ended up as the final score. Saucke’s bat was rather quiet in game one, but he shined defensively, earning six assists.
The Hawks came out strong in the second game of the doubleheader. Following the leadoff homer from Saucke, Whitehill and Walsh scored from second on a Buecker double. Freshman left fielder Will Fahey singled, sending Buecker home. After batting around, Saucke came up again and walked, sending home senior designated hitter Aidan Bretschneider. Monmouth went into the bottom of the first with a 5-0 lead.
The Spiders scored one run in the bottom of the first with a home run from graduate catcher Dylan Winebrenner off of Hawks starter Tommy Kent. The Spiders added a run in both the second and third, making it a 5-3 game heading into the bottom of the fourth. Kent was relieved by freshman right-hander Cory Pascarella after Richmond’s sophomore left fielder Grant Kennedy scored on a fielder’s choice. Pascarella gave up four more, two of which were charged to Kent. Riley Weatherwax came in to relieve Pascarella after getting just one out. The Spiders led the Hawks 8-5 going into the fifth inning.
Monmouth added another run in the top of the fifth, but Richmond was quick to respond, extending their lead back to three with a sac-fly from Johnson Jr. They sent another run home on a throwing error by graduate catcher Kevin Fedorchuk. The Hawks were trailing 10-6 heading into the ninth inning. Saucke gave Monmouth their last two runs with a single to left, scoring Bretschneider and Richter. The Hawks lost the second game with a final score of 10-8.
The Hawks play again this Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m., against Virginia in DeLand, Florida. They will have the chance to build off the positives this weekend and turn things around.
