KISSIMMEE, Fla. ? The Monmouth University softball team dropped a pair of contests at the Rebel Games on Wednesday, falling 3-2 to Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and 5-0 to Yale. MU drops to 2-4 on the season with the pair of defeats.
The Hawks dropped a 3-2 decision to the Mastodons in their first game of the day. Freshman hurler Dara Palms (Humble, Tex./Humble) started her first collegiate contest and pitched three innings, allowing two runs, one earned to go along with two hits, two walks and one strikeout. She gave way to fellow freshman Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township), who went the final 3.2 innings, surrendering only one earned run and four hits while striking out four and walking no one.
Palms walked the leadoff batter in the top of the first inning, and she eventually came around to score on a single after advancing on an error. Mehrer held IPFW in check until the seventh, when she allowed a one out single to left which eventually came around to score.
The Hawks score their first run in the fourth inning when Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) led off with a single and tried to advance on Jessica Nicola's (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) double, but was thrown out. Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev. /Green Valley) then laid down a bunt single that scored Nicola for MU's first tally. The Hawks scored again in the sixth when Nicola led off with another double and advanced to third on an O'Dell single. With runners on first and third, Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J. /James Caldwell) laced a single to left to plate Nicola.
Monmouth threatened in the seventh inning when Gina Mignogna (Mt. Laurel, N.J. /Lenape Regional) reached on an error and stole second, but the MU rally was put down there. Nicola went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, while O'Dell and Ferrara each went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Mignogna added a triple to go along with her stolen base.
Against Yale, Monmouth was unable to muster much offense, getting blanked by a pair of Bulldog pitchers. O'Dell led the MU offense with two hits, and six other Hawks tallied base hits, but the Hawks left eight runners on base in the loss. Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa. /Wilson) took the loss, pitching all seven innings while allowing five runs, three of which were earned and walking five batters while striking out six.
The Hawks have an off day on Thursday before facing Pennsylvania at 1:00 p.m. and Butler at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
