FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from in-state foe Rider, 9-4 and 10-1 Thursday afternoon. The Hawks improve to 26-14 while the Broncs fall to 6-29 on the season.
Heather Gordon (Hatboro, Pa./Mount St. Joseph's) drove in eight runs in the two games combined, giving her 58 RBI on the season, and won the second game in the circle to lead the Hawks.
In the first game, Monmouth trailed the hosts 4-1 after three innings before scoring eight unanswered runs, two in the fourth and three each in the sixth and seventh, to complete the 9-4 comeback run.
Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) was 2-for-3 in the lead-off spot with three runs scored and a run driven in. Gordon had a double, but drive in three runs in the first, while teammate Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa./Nazareth Academy) continue her hot hitting of late by going 3-for-4 with a RBI and Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) had two hits and a run driven in.
Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) earned the win to improve to 13-5. She threw 3.1 innings of shutout, one-hit relief, striking out five batters and walking only one.
In the nightcap, Monmouth blew the game wide open in the top of the third when Simonetti walked, Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) reached an error by the third baseman and Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville) singled to load the bases, setting up a Gordon grand-slam to give MU a 5-0 lead.
Simonetti scored twice, Nicola went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Gordon ended the game with five runs driven in. Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and driven in and Jurewicz added two hits, including her third home run of the year, two runs scored and two RBI. Alyson Slattery (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa Academy) collected a hit, run scored and a RBI for MU in game two.
Gordon threw two shutout innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 3-5 in the circle this season.
Monmouth returns to action this Saturday, April 28 when they travel to Emmitsburg, Md. for a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Mount St. Mary's at 3 p.m.
Pictured: Senior Heather Gordon
