Softball improved their impressive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) record to a perfect 8-0 after winning back-to-back games against St. Peter’s University on Friday, April 13 and Manhattan College on Saturday, April 14.
The games against Manhattan were the definition of nail biters. In game one, Manhattan scored the first run during the top of the fourth with an RBI single, putting them ahead 1-0.
However, in the bottom of the seventh inning, senior infielder Alex Holzman singled to right center, and freshman outfielder Morgan Maziarz pinch ran for her. Maziarz advanced to third base off of a single hit by sophomore shortstop Deangie Jimenez.
With two outs on the count, freshman outfielder Katie Harrington stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third, she belted a triple to right field and got the two runners on base to score for the 2-1 win over Manhattan.
In game two, the Hawks used the energy from the previous game and got off to a quick start. In the bottom of the first inning, senior outfielder Katie Baron hit an RBI double to allow senior outfielder Chloe Howerth to score. Then shortly after during the bottom of the second inning, Holzman went yard with a solo home run, advancing the score to 2-0.
In both the third and fourth innings, Manhattan showed they’re offensive skills by scoring three runs in each inning and taking the lead 6-2 over the Hawks. Baron made sure that this four run lead was short lived by blasting a two-run home run, closing the gap and making the score 6-4.
With one out, Hopeck made the score even closer by hitting a double down the line, scoring sophomore outfielder Amber Wozniak and freshman infielder Bri Battavio who were waiting for the chance to reach home plate on second and third base. The Hawks then won 7-6 over Manhattan due to Harrington reaching on an error than allowed Holzman to score the winning run.
Monmouth Head Coach Shannon Salsburg reacted to the comeback the team made, “We knew Manhattan was going to come in hungry. It was awesome to see different people on the team come through today, including defense, offense, and pitching.”
She continued, “When we were trailing, I told them that this is why we’ve gone through what we’ve had throughout this season, and they needed to trust what we’ve gone through and know that they can come back.”
After these games, senior right-handed pitcher Amanda Riley increased her program record to 567 career strikeouts and pitched her ninth complete game of the season, she is also 4-0 in MAAC play with 30 innings pitched, a 0.70 ERA, and 45 strikeouts. Baron moved into a tie for sixth in Monmouth softball history with 18 home runs, and needs just three more to tie for fourth.
The Hawks will welcome against Columbia University for a single game on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
PHOTO TAKEN by Karlee Sellthree
