WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team defeated St. John's 6-5 in nine innings in nonconference action Wednesday at the Monmouth Softball Complex.
The Hawks won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Heather Gordon (Hatboro, Pa./Mount St. Joseph's) walk-off single that plated Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) with the winning run.
The Hawks and Red Storm were supposed to play a doubleheader, but the second game was called due to darkness with MU leading 4-1 in the fourth inning. Monmouth improves to 7-4 with the win, while St. John's falls to 3-16.
Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) pitched the final 4.2 innings, surrendering only two hits and no earned runs, while striking out six and walking none. She improves to 3-2 with the win.
Jess Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) led the MU offense with three hits and three runs drive in, while Nicole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) had two hits, as did Gordon and Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley).
Monmouth took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after Gordon led-off with a double and O'Dell drove her in. Nicola then singled home O'Dell as the Hawks built their two-run lead.
St. John's then broke through to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning, all keyed around a Loren Anguiano home run. MU then rallied to score twice in the sixth as Candace Palumbo (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) doubled, and Nicola drove a two-RBI single to score Palumbo and pinch-runner Jesselyn Jackson (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck). The game then remained tied until St. John's plated one run in the top of the ninth. In extra innings, due to international tie-breaker rules, Danielle Ellement (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Newbury Park) was placed at second base to run and scored to tie the game on a wild pitch, setting up Gordon's heroics.
The Hawks return to action on March 24, when they travel to Lawrenceville, N.J. to participate in the Rider Invitational. They will take on Lafayette at 2 p.m. and Villanova at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Pictured: Senior Heather Gordon
