The University’s softball team won three of their four games this past weekend against conference rivals Saint Peter’s Peacocks and Quinnipiac Bobcats. With the weekend results, MU now has a 14-17 overall record, including a 6-6 mark in MAAC play.
The Hawks opened the weekend by sweeping a doubleheader against the Peacocks on Saturday, April 19. Senior left fielder Alicia DeSanto was big for the Hawks as she went 4-7 with five RBIs total on the day. Freshman Sydney Underhill picked up both victories for the Hawks, including a complete game shutout.
The first game was a pitchers’ duel as neither team was able to push across a run through the first four innings. After Underhill kept the game scoreless in the top of the fifth, the blue and white were finally able to break through in the bottom half of the inning and built a 2-0 lead heading into the sixth frame.
Senior first baseman Kaitie Schumacher got the rally started when she was hit by a pitch, and two batters later sophomore Nikki Sandelier singled to left to give MU two base runners. Both runners advanced into scoring position on an MU groundout before DeSanto delivered a two-out base hit to right to put the Hawks ahead.
“I was just going into that at-bat thinking we haven’t scored yet, and really need these runs,” said DeSanto about the hit. “The pitcher was throwing me the same pitch all day, and I just jumped on it and it worked out that at-bat.”
Saint Peter’s put pressure on MU in the top half of the sixth by loading the bases, but Underhill worked out of the jam to maintain the two run lead. The Hawks added some insurance runs in their next at-bat when sophomore Raelynn Galindo came through with a two-run pinch hit single to increase the Hawk’s lead to 4-0. Underhill then set the Peacocks down 1-2-3 in the seventh to seal the Hawks’ victory.
In the second game, both teams’ bats seemed to wake up as MU held on to win 7-6 in a high scoring contest.
The Hawks jumped out to an early lead when DeSanto delivered an RBI single to give the team a 1-0 lead in the first. MU didn’t stop there, however, and the Hawks added two runs in the second and one more in the third to build a 4-0 advantage. DeSanto again played a big part in the scoring with a two RBI double in the second, and Galindo pushed across the fourth MU run by drawing a bases loaded walk in the third.
Saint Peter’s responded with a five run fourth inning to take their first lead of the day. The big blow came from the Peacock’s Lee Harrison when she blasted a three-run homer that put Saint Peter’s ahead 5-4.
After going down quietly in the bottom of the fourth, the blue and white regained its lead in the fifth when sophomore Jill Freese showed her power, and blasted a two-run homerun that put MU back in front 6-5.
Once again, the Peacocks battled back when an MU error allowed Saint Peter’s to push across another run and tie the game at 6.
Unfortunately, for the Peacocks, MU wasted no time in jumping right back in front, and an RBI single from junior Kayleena Flores in the bottom half of the sixth gave the Hawks a 7-6 advantage that they would not relinquish.
MU did not have much time to celebrate as the team then had to travel to Quinnipiac to take on the Bobcats in another doubleheader just 24 hours later.
The quick turnaround did not seem to bother the Hawks, however, as they dominated QU in the first meeting, winning 14-4 in a game that was called after five innings because of the mercy rule.
The blue and white jumped out to a commanding lead right away by scoring 10 runs in the top of the first highlighted by a Flores three run triple and freshman Rachel Shotzbarger’s two RBI single.
With the score sitting at 10-0, the Hawks added to their lead in the fourth by plating four more runs including a two RBI single from Galindo.
QU managed to generate some offense with a four run rally in the bottom of the fifth, but they were unable to push across a fifth run to keep the game going.
The second game of the day began similarly to the first with the Hawks gaining a lead in the first inning. Freshman Justene Reyes got the scoring started for MU when she knocked in senior Shannon Fitzgerald with a two out single to give her team a 1-0 lead. Flores then increased the lead later in the inning with an RBI double to give the Hawks a 2-0 advantage.
Unlike the first contest, the Bobcats did not allow MU to gain any more momentum, and they answered with runs in the first and second to tie the game.
Both pitchers settled down in the third, but DeSanto once again come up big for the blue and white with a two run double in the fourth to put her team back in front, 4-2. She then played a part in extending MU’s lead the next inning as she scored on a Reyes single to move the lead to 5-2.
The Hawks looked like the were well on their way to their fourth victory of the weekend as Underhill shut down the Bobcats in their next three at-bats, but gears changed in the bottom of the seventh inning. QU’s Nikki Barba led off the inning with a homerun to cut the lead to two, and three more Bobcat hits resulted in three runs to give QU the 6-5 victory and a split of the doubleheader.
DeSanto went 3-6 with three RBI’s and three runs on the day, and Flores chipped in with a 3-7 four RBI’s effort.
Underhill was again MU’s workhorse as she picked up both a win and a loss with just under ten innings pitched and three strikeouts total for both games.
MU next takes the field Wednesday, April 23 when they host the University of Pennsylvania Quakers. First pitch is set for 3:30 pm.
