After inclement field conditions postponed an MU softball doubleheader last Saturday, the girls traveled to Hackensack to face Siena College on Sunday, April 6. Monmouth split the games and their record to now sits at 9-11.
The Hawks won their first game against the Siena Saints with a score of 4-2. Freshman Sydney Underhill and the Hawks’ defense held Siena until the third inning, when Alyssa Lancaster batted in a run. In the top of the fourth, the Saints increased their lead to 2-0 after Abby Carpenter hit a solo home run to left field.
MU battled back in the fifth inning. Sophomore Nikki Sandelier was walked, and a Saints’ error put runners on the corners. Senior Shannon Fitzgerald stole second, and both she and Sandelier scored after a double to right center by junior Vanessa Cardoza.
Freshman Justene Reyes then came up to the plate, hammering a two-run home run to left field. Reyes’ impressive hit led the Hawks to a 4-2 lead by the bottom of the fifth.
Both teams had hits in the sixth, but were unable to score for the remainder of the game. Monmouth earned the win, increasing their record to 9-10, while the Saints dropped to 13-15.
The Hawks went down in the second game, despite getting off to a good start. Underhill was able to retire the first six Saints batters before giving up runs in the third. Lauren Milligan kicked off the inning with an infield single, ultimately reaching third after a hit to right field by Paige Lloyd.
Lloyd stole second on the next play, putting runners on second and third. Mikayla Powlowsky stepped up to the plate and hit a grounder to third, allowing Milligan to take off for home, beating Cardoza’s throw and scoring the first run of the game.
Before MU could close out the inning, Stephanie Viggiano doubled to score Lloyd, and Lancaster hit a two-run single to give the Saints a 4-0 lead.
The Hawks attempted a comeback in the bottom of the third. Fitzgerald led off the inning with a double before scoring on a two-base throwing error by the Siena catcher. Both teams were then scoreless until the fifth inning, when Cardoza made it home after a double to left center by freshman Rachel Shotzbarger. MU was able to close the gap and make the score 4-2.
Unfortunately, these two runs were not enough to get Monmouth back in the game. Siena scored three runs at the top of the sixth, thanks to an RBI single by Carpenter and a two-run double by Milligan. The Hawks were unable to answer in the seventh, and lost with a final score of 7-2. With the conclusion of this doubleheader, MU dropped to 9-11, and Siena increased to 14-15.
Despite the Hawks’ losing record, the team’s offense continues to improve, and they posted some impressive stats for the weekend. Cardoza went 4-for-7 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI’s. Shotzbarger went 3-for-6 with two doubles and an RBI. Fitzgerald went 3-for-3 in stolen-base attempts, and Lauren Howard, Reyes, and Fitzgerald contributed two hits each.
The team will be back in action on Wednesday, April 9 to host the Drexel Dragons. First pitch will be 4 pm at the MU softball field.
PHOTO COURTESY of Greg Ott
