WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – After falling behind early, Villanova battled back into a contest that saw four lead changes in a span of two innings, but an eight-run fourth for Monmouth was too much to overcome, falling 16-10 on Tuesday afternoon at the MU Baseball Field.

This is the fifth consecutive game that Villanova (17-25-1) has dropped. The 16 runs scored by Monmouth (22-22) mark the most that the Wildcats have given up on the year. The Hawks scored in all but two innings with 13 of their runs coming in the first four frames.

Jack O'Reilly had a productive day at the dish, driving in a season-high four runs while going 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and a walk. On the mound, Cade Udell worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless action, allowing no hits while striking out three and walking one in the five batters he faced.

Monmouth jumped out to a 3-0 lead through the first two innings thanks to a pair of home runs. Nick Campana delivered a two-run shot in the bottom of the first with two outs before Phil Stahl had a solo shot in the second.

The Wildcats got back into the game with a four-run third.

Chris Rotondo reached base on a hit by pitch before making his was to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Joey Castellanos worked a full-count walk to place runners on the corners for Jack O'Reilly. A wild pitch moved the runners up, scoring Rotondo to make it a two-run deficit. The third pitch O'Reilly faced was sent sailing down the left field line and over the wall to not the game, 3-3. John Whooley was walked before Pat O'Neill  laced a single through the left side to get two runners on. With two outs, Shane Solari singled to right, scoring Whooley to put the 'Cats ahead, 4-3.

With two runners on in the bottom of the third, a pair of wild pitches moved the runners into scoring position and then scored Casey Caufield to make it, 4-4. James Harmstead was standing on third for Campana who drove in another leading run on a single up the middle, giving the Hawks 5-4 advantage.

Villanova answered that run in the top of the fourth with another multi-run inning. A single and a walk placed two runners on for O'Reilly. He pushed a single through the right side to score Rotondo for the tie. O'Neill walked the bases loaded with two outs for Cameron Hassert. He placed a base knock up the middle to score both O'Reilly and Castellanos but the frame ended with O'Neill getting caught at third on a relay from center field, leaving the score at 5-4.

Cole Vanderslice (1-2) entered in relief to open the bottom of the fourth in a frame that saw Monmouth surge ahead with an eight-run frame, four of those runs coming before the first out was ever recorded. A throwing error, a single and a walk loaded the bases for the Hawks. Colin McCreary, Caufield and Dixon Black all put down singles to push the Hawks ahead, 8-5. With three on and one out, Joey Ventresca groundout out to second, bringing in another run for a four-run lead. Chris Andrews followed that with a two-run double to left center, forcing the Wildcats to bring Marcus LaBuda in for Vanderslice. Stahl was the first batter he faced, doubling down the third base line to make it a 13-7 contest.

Three consecutive at bats came up successful for Villanova in the top of the fifth, starting with a bases-loaded one for Castellanos. He worked a four-pitch walk to bring Will Reiner across, leaving the bases juiced for O'Reilly. He collected his third four-RBI day of the season on a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Hale to cut the Monmouth lead to four. Whooley came up with an RBI single to right, narrowing the deficit to 13-10.

Villanova sent the Hawks down in order in the bottom of the fifth, their first inning without a run across.

Monmouth made it a four-run game again in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to left field by Stahl, scoring Harmstead. Another walk led the Wildcats to the bullpen to bring in Udell. He shut the door with a strikeout, ending any further damage.

Neither side could get a run across again until a two-run homer from Stahl pushed Monmouth's lead out to 16-10 in the bottom of the eighth.

Villanova gets back to BIG EAST play this weekend with a trip to Seton Hall. That series opens on Friday at 4 p.m. before Saturday's doubleheader start at noon.