TEANECK, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team concluded their 2007 season on Saturday afternoon, falling to Wagner, 4-0 in the semifinal round of the Northeast Conference Softball Championships. The Hawks end the season at 31-18, their most wins since 2000.

Sophomore Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) took the loss despite throwing seven shutout innings to fall to 17-7 for the season. She surrendered four runs, two of which were earned, in the top of the eighth inning when the Seahawks took the final 4-0 lead. Kate Eshelman led off the top of the eighth for Wagner with a solo home run to break the scoreless deadlock. Sawlsville and Wagner's Morgan Miller, who earned the win, had engaged in a pitcher's duel through seven innings before the Seahawks broke through in the top of the final inning.

Dawn Gilchrist (Newfoundland, N.J./Jefferson) went 2-for-3 in her final game in the Blue and White to lead the MU offense.

Wagner now advances to face top-seeded Long Island in the Championship Round of the NEC Tournament, to be played later this afternoon.

The loss ends the careers of three Hawks, seniors Gilchrist, Heather Gordon (Hatboro, Pa./Mount St. Joseph's) and Angela Rand (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert). The trio leaves Monmouth with 99 wins in their four years. Gordon and Gilchrist will graduate one-two in the Monmouth program record book for most home runs in a career with 35 and 17, respectively. Gordon will also leave as the school's all-time runs batted in leader.

MU will have four 2007 All-Northeast Conference First-Team performers returning next season in Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township), Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville), Sawlsville and Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes), and one second-teamer in Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley).