A Night of Drama at Monmouth
The Monmouth Hawks entered the ninth inning trailing, but a sequence of baserunners set the stage for a walk‑off victory. Brendan Buecker was hit by a pitch to open the frame, followed by a Colin Richter single that moved the runners to second and third. Chris Walsh’s sacrifice bunt advanced both, and Wyatt Hunt was subsequently hit by a pitch, forcing home plate.
RJ Mustaro’s two‑run homer in the eighth erased a 7‑5 deficit, while Nick Lovarco and Mustaro later launched back‑to‑back solo shots in the seventh to knot the score. The offense surged with 16 hits, underscoring the team’s resilience.
JT Taylor answered with two homers and five RBIs for North Carolina A&T, but the Hawks’ bullpen held firm. Caden Carlin delivered two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Kevin Opanel struck out two in a clean ninth to earn the victory.
The win capped a 29‑21 regular season for Monmouth, earning the team its first CAA postseason berth. Players such as Simmi Whitehill and Jimmy Bruno celebrated the milestone as the Hawks look ahead to the playoffs.