Softball won three out of four games this past weekend against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Canisius, starting the season with an impressive 3-1 record.
They played two double headers on Saturday and Sunday. In their first game since March 2020, Monmouth defeated Canisius by a score of 5-4 in nine innings. They followed that with an 11-0 loss in six innings that ended early due to the mercy rule.
In the opener, freshman infielder Julia Thuer hit a walk-off home run that sent home the Hawks with their first victory of the season. She would finish the game going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs. Senior catcher Erika Coreth also had a great performance going 2-for-4 while launching a solo home run.
Senior pitcher Alyssa Irons threw a complete game and earned the win for her performance on the bump.
“In game one, I thought Alyssa did a very nice job of settling in and keeping their hitters off balance as the game went on,” said head coach Shannon Salsburg. “We had some timely hits, and I was pleased with our approach offensively.”
After a triumphant victory, the Hawks fell to the Golden Griffins in game two of the Saturday double header in six innings by a score of 11-0. The Hawks had trouble getting anything going in this matchup as they could only muster two hits the entire game.
“In game two, I thought Canisius came out more aggressive and we had a couple of costly mistakes,” said Salsburg. “This is a game to really grow from and understand that we have to make adjustments sooner. We look forward to get back on the field tomorrow.”
They took the field the following day and swept the double header they had against the same opponent. In game one, Monmouth reigned victorious after a low-scoring affair that ended in a result of 2-1. Sophomore infielder Riley Riendeau reached on a fielder’s choice giving Monmouth a 1-0 lead. Junior utility player Lindsey Baron would then put the Hawks up by two with an RBI single in the third inning.
In game two, Monmouth already fell into a 5-0 hole by the middle of the second inning. However, the Hawks tied the game thanks to a rally in the bottom of the second inning, which included a grand slam from senior catcher Tommi Showers.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Hawks found themselves trailing by one run. However, Thuer drew a walk with the bases loaded to tie the game and senior outfielder Katie Harington was hit by a pitch. This was certainly one of the more bizarre ways to earn a walk-off win.
Irons came in to relieve in the fifth inning and pitched three shutout innings. Irons pitched a total of 12 innings on Sunday, and only gave up two earned runs. She now has three wins already on the year and 40 in her career as a Hawk.
“I’m proud of our grit today. It was very Monmouth Softball,” said Salsburg,.“Alyssa threw well in game one and our defense played solid behind her. We got the key hits. In game two, we got ourselves in a bit of a hole, but our team really fought back.”
The Hawks are now 3-1 on the season and will head to Hamden, CT this weekend, as they will face off against Quinnipiac four times. The blue and white will be playing double headers on both Saturday and Sunday against the Bobcats.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth Athletics
