Ruh Fires Complete-Game 1-Hit Shutout To Lead UNCW Over Monmouth, 5-0
Rob Washburn
Box Score
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 20, 2026) – Graduate right-hander Mason Ruh delivered the best pitching performance of his UNCW career, throwing a complete-game 1-hit shutout to lead the sixth-seeded Seahawks past #3 Monmouth, 5-0, in Game 2 of the CAA Baseball Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Brooks Field.
UNCW (29-26) advances to play top-seeded Campbell at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Monmouth (29-22) takes on #4 Charleston in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Ruh, who made just one start in his 20 pitching appearances coming into the contest, allowed just a second-inning single before retiring 24 of the final 25 batters he faced. He struck out a season-best eight with just one walk to up his record to 5-1. Ruh hadn’t thrown more than three innings in a game all season prior to his 109-pitch gem.
It was only the fifth 1-hitter in the history of the CAA Baseball Championship and the third accomplished by one pitcher. It was the first complete game by a Seahawks’ hurler in the tournament since Landen Roupp in 2021 and the first complete-game 1-hitter by any UNCW pitcher since 2014.
Offensively, JP Pennella and John Newton each went 2-for-4 for UNCW, while Mason Hughes and Casey Carpenter drove in two runs apiece. Catcher Brendan Buecker’s second-inning single was the lone hit for Monmouth.
UNCW sprinted out to a 2-0 advantage in the first. After Trevor Lucas and Danny O’Brien drew back-to-back walks, Hughes lined a two-out single to left-center that brought them both in.
The Seahawks doubled their margin in the fifth. Jake Bechtel doubled to open the frame and Carpenter followed with his second homer of the season to left, putting UNCW on top, 4-0.
UNCW picked up another run in the sixth. Newton doubled into the right-field corner to lead off the frame and Kevin Jones followed with a one-out RBI double down the left-field line to make it 5-0.