Coming off the momentum of their third series sweep of the season, Monmouth baseball seemed ready to take on their two non-conference matchups the following week. In a surprising turn, they experienced two very different outcomes, one a giant loss and the other defined by resilience. After falling 17-5 to the NJIT Highlanders, Monmouth regrouped and bounced back to defeat the University of Pennsylvania 5-3, redefining their ability to respond under pressure.
The Hawks faced NJIT on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. riding the high of their weekend sweep, however that energy did not carry over. Monmouth struck first, with senior infielder Simmi Whitehill, one of the team’s standout contributors in recent weeks, getting things started. His effort was quickly backed by a single from Nick Lovarco, who advanced to second on an NJIT error, bringing in two more runs for a 3-0 lead. Lovarco later scored on a groundout by Jake Howlett, extending the lead.
That advantage was short-lived, as NJIT’s freshman catcher Connor Klock put the Highlanders on the board and sparked a dominant offensive surge they would maintain for the rest of the game. Graduate infielder Sheehan O’Connor followed with a double to right center that brought in three runs, and redshirt senior Ty Sallie added another. After two more runs, junior righty Stefan Swee took the mound with the score at 7-4, but NJIT continued to build momentum, adding six more runs in the inning to make it 13-4.
The Hawks remained quiet until the bottom of the fourth, when freshman outfielder Will Fahey drove in a run with a single to left field. It would be Monmouth’s final run, as the game ended after seven innings with a 17-5 NJIT victory.
Despite the tough loss, the Hawks responded in their second nonconference game against the University of Pennsylvania. Lovarco opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a home run, tying him for the team lead on the season. Penn answered with two runs in the fifth and added another in the sixth, but Monmouth stayed within reach. Howlett brought in a run with a flyout to right field, cutting the deficit.
In the seventh, freshman infielder Sam Saucke advanced to second on a wild pitch, allowing sophomore outfielder Colin Richter to score. Junior first baseman Chris Walsh added another run with a sacrifice fly, giving the Hawks the lead. Lovarco capped off the inning with a single, securing a 5-3 advantage that would hold through the final innings.
Graduate pitcher Jake Danyluk closed out the game with a hitless ninth inning, earning his second save of the season and sealing the victory. The win marked Monmouth’s 20th of the season—and likely not their last.
