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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The St. Bonaventure baseball team (3-6) wrapped up its nine-game Florida trip Monday with a 5-3 loss to Monmouth (3-4).

After two stellar appearances out of the bullpen earlier in the trip, sophomore Robert Nalepa started for the Bonnies but quickly surrendered three runs in the top of the 1st to the Hawks.

St. Bonaventure got one of those runs back in the bottom of the frame when junior left fielder Nick Brennen drove a double to right to score senior center fielder Brad Steinbach for its first run of the game.

The Bonnies were able to cut into the deficit even more in the 3rd inning as the duo of Steinbach and Brennen teamed up once again. After Steinbach led off the inning with a double, Brennen doubled him home for the second time.

However, the Hawks scored twice in the ensuing top of the 4th to take a 5-2 lead, and that's the way it remained until the 8th inning.

Junior right fielder Ryan Skellie led off the 8th with a single, and senior shortstop Ryan Mosher chased him to third with a single. Sophomore second baseman Jason Radwan then singled up the middle to score Skellie, but that's when the Bona rally ended.

Nalepa, who had thrown 7.2 innings of scoreless relief on the trip, was saddled with the loss after going 3.2 innings of five-hit, five-run (four earned) baseball. The right-hander did strike out four, but also walked five.

He was relieved by junior Jordan Crane, who pitched brilliantly in relief. The right-hander shut the Hawks out over the final 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five over that stretch. Unfortunately for the Bonnies, the bats didn't have a response to the Monmouth pitching.

Radwan finished 3-for-5 on the day, Brennen went 2-for-5 and Mosher collected two singles in a 2-for-4 performance as part of St. Bonaventure's 11 team hits.

The Bonnies will be back in action a week from Tuesday, March 15, when they are scheduled to open up their home docket with a doubleheader against Niagara beginning at 1 p.m.