Quinnipiac Offense, Jankins Arm Defeat Monmouth 4-0
MAAC Sports
LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Freshman righthander Thomas Jankins and senior closer Gary Binkiewicz combined for an eight hit shutout, and Quinnipiac University pounded out 11 hits as it defeated Monmouth University 4-0 in the opening round of the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at FirstEnergy Park.
The matchup featured the MAAC’s two newest members, the fourth seeded Bobcats and fifth-seeded Hawks, who both joined the league for the 2013-14 season. It was Quinnipiac’s first post-season victory since 2007.
Jankins scattered eight hits over eight innings and didn’t allow a run to raise his record to 5-7. The Hawks (18-29) challenged at times, but could not push across any runs.
Quinnipiac needed just one big inning, the bottom of the third, when it scored all four of its runs, benefitting from five hits.
The Bobcats opened the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Lou Ianotti drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice when Mike Bluementhal beat Monmouth’s Danny Avella’s throw home on a chopper to first base. Vincent Guglietti’s RBI single to left drove in the next run, followed by Rob Pescitelli’s run-scoring sacrifice fly to center. Ryan Nelson singled to right to plate the Bobcats’ fourth run, before the Hawks were able to get out of the inning.
The Hawks had runners in scoring position in the first, second, third , fifth and eighth innings but were unable to dent the scoreboard. Monmouth challenged in the top of the second when Steve Wilgus reached on a one-out single, and went to third on Craig Sweeney’s two-out base hit. Danny Avella, who had singled in the top of the second, hit a sharp drive to center that was hauled in by Quinnipiac’s Mike Palladino. Wilgus also advanced to third in the fifth inning after he doubled, and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Craig Sweeney grounded out to third to end the threat.
Guglietti, a second team All-MAAC first baseman who hit .341 during the regular season, collected three hits in four trips to the plate, and added a RBI. Pescitelli and Ryan Nelson each had two hits for the Bobcats (22-24).
Wilgus, Sweeney and Grant Lamberton each had two hits for the Hawks.
The victory for the Bobcats put them into the third game of day one of the championship, facing No. 1 seed Canisius. Monmouth will face Manhattan in Game # 5 of the tournament, at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22.