PISCATAWAY, N.J.  - The Rutgers baseball team dropped a 4-2 decision to Monmouth Wednesday afternoon at Bainton Field. The Hawks (29-10) scored three runs in the first four innings and used a strong performance on the mound from the trio of Kyle Breese, Tim Ballard and Justin Esposito to escape victory over the Scarlet Knights (19-23-1).

Monmouth pushed across its first when Kyle Higgins led off the game with a walk and an errant throw on a failed pickoff attempt at first base moved him all the way to third, where he scored the Hawks' first run on a groundout.

The Hawks used three singles to load the bases with one out in the second and Cal Costanzo drew a walk to bring home Monmouth's second run. However, Rutgers starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.) rebounded with an inning-ending double play to prevent any further damage in the frame.

Senior Vic Cegles (Phoenix. Ariz.) reached on a fielder's choice with one out in the second and used a Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) single to center field and a fly out to move over to third and set up RU's first run of the game. Junior Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) hit a ball deep in the hole on the left side for a two-out single to bring home Cegles and cut the Hawks' lead in half.

Monmouth got that run back in the fourth though as a hit batsman was followed by a pair of singles from Chris Collazo and Costanzo to give the Hawks a 3-1 advantage.

Rutgers threatened in the bottom half of the fourth when Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) led off the frame with a single to right field and moved to second on an errant throw on a failed pickoff attempt and came within 90 feet of home on a wild pitch. Bresse got out of the jam, however, with an inning-ending strikeout. 

Edwards capitalized on several Monmouth miscues to score a run in the sixth when he reached base after being hit, and raced around the bases on three wild pitches, with the final two coming on consecutive throws. Breese struck out the side in the inning, but the four wild throws (three wild pitches and a hit batsman) allowed the Scarlet Knights to pull within one run at 3-2.

Monmouth climbed back on top by two runs after manufacturing a run in the seventh when Kyle Higgins led off the frame with a single, stole second and was sacrificed over to third, scoring on a wild pitch from Wargo.

Down by two scores, Edwards (single) and Matthews (walk) both reached base against newly-inserted reliever Tim Ballard in the eighth. After both runners moved into scoring position on a Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) groundout, Monmouth went to its bullpen again to bring in closer Justin Esposito with two outs. The reliever induced an inning-ending groundout to get out of the frame unscathed.

After a wild pitch on a third strike allowed Lang to reach base, the Scarlet Knights brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth. However, Esposito came through again for the Hawks with a game-sealing strikeout.

Breese improved to 5-1 with nine strikeouts in six innings, while giving up two runs on six hits. Esposito picked up a much-earned 10th save with 1.1 innings of relief with three strikeouts. Wargo moved to 1-4 with three earned runs on six hits and four strikeouts in seven innings of work for the Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) hurled two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief for RU. 

The Scarlet Knights out-hit the Hawks, 8-7, led by a three-hit afternoon from Edwards and a two-hit game from Lang. Cegles had his career-best 17-game hitting streak snapped in the contest, but still reached base, scoring a run for RU.

Rutgers travels to Cincinnati, Ohio to face BIG EAST foe Cincinnati in a three-game series this weekend at Marge Schott Stadium.