WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? A little history and a great comeback were on display Wednesday afternoon as the Monmouth University softball team took two games from Saint Peter's, downing the Peahens 9-4 and 11-8 in non-conference action. Monmouth Senior Heather Gordon (Hatboro, Pa./Mount St. Joseph's) set the all-time single season school record for runs batted in during the first game on a two-RBI single in the bottom of the first and the Hawks came back from down 8-3 in the second game to complete the sweep. MU is now 21-8 on the season while Saint Peter's falls to 14-12.
Gordon came into the game tied with Michelle West (1999) with 42 RBI this season and didn't need long to establish the mark as her own with her two run-scoring single in the bottom of the first in game one. On the afternoon, Gordon went a combined 5-for-7 with six RBI in the two games.
In game one, the Hawks broke through in the first inning as Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville) followed Gordon's run-scoring hit by smashing a 1-0 pitch for a two-run home run to centerfield with two outs. In all, nine Hawks batted in the opening inning and MU took a 4-0 lead early.
Saint Peter's answered as Michelle Casares hit a two-run home run of her own on the first pitch she saw to cut the MU lead to 4-2. Chrissy Gannon hit a solo home run one inning later and the Monmouth lead was cut to one, but that was the closet the Peahens would get for the rest of the first game.
Dawn Gilchrist (Newfoundland, N.J./Jefferson) answered for the Hawks when she smacked a two-run round-tripper that scored Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes), who led the inning with a single. Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) then drove in pinch-runner Alyson Slattery (Staten Island, N.Y. /St. John Villa) with a single with a single for the Blue and White. In the Monmouth fifth, Lisa DiLeo (Commack, N.Y./Commack) led off the frame with a solo home run over the leftfield fence, and Gina Mignogna (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) just missed out on a home run of her own for the second straight doubleheader by blasting a double off the base of the centerfield fence. Alvarez then executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Mignogna.
Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa/Wilson) got the win by tossing a complete game seven-hitter. She struck out six and walked four on the game. Gilchrist was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Gordon, Nicola and DiLeo each added two hits with the senior driving in two runs and the freshman brought around three.
In the nightcap, both teams scored three in the first inning, but the Peahens erupted for five in the top of the second to take an 8-3 lead. That would be all the scoring they would muster for the second game as Gordon pitched the final five innings in relief, surrendering only one hit over the rest of the game to pick up her first win of the season.
Monmouth began the comeback when Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev. /Green Valley) laced a two-RBI double off the right-centerfield fence to cut the Saint Peter's lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the third.
In the bottom of the sixth, Gilchrist smacked a RBI double down the right field line with scored Slattery. Alvarez then reached on an infield single to load the bases for Gordon, who came through with a three-run double to give MU the lead at 9-8. Nicola would add a run-scoring single to plate Gordon, and Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) would score Nicola with a sacrifice fly to end the MU scoring.
Alvarez went 3-for-4 in the second game with twos runs scored, and Gordon followed suit with three hits and four RBI. Nicola went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and O'Dell went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
The Hawks return to action when they resume Northeast Conference play, where they are 7-1, on Saturday when they host Fairleigh Dickinson for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 1 pm.
Pictured: Senior Heather Gordon
