KISSIMMEE, Fla. ? The Monmouth University softball team fell to Wisconsin-Green Bay, 10-4 and Columbia, 2-1 in their final day at the 2008 Rebel Games. The Hawks have now dropped six straight overall and fall to 2-8 on the season.
Against Wisconsin-Green Bay, MU trailed 3-0 after four innings, but tied it up with three runs in the fifth. Freshman Dara Palms (Humble, Tex./Humble) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a ground out. Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) then hit a fly ball that was misplayed, moving Palms to third. Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) then drove in Palms with a suicide squeeze bunt.
Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) then ripped a two-RBI base hit up the middle to knot the contest at 3-3. UWGB then went on to score seven unanswered runs to end the game en route to their win. Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) went 2-for-3 with a run driven in and Palms collected two hits. She also started the game in the circle, going the first 4.2 inning before giving way to Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J. /Florence Township), who pitched the final 1.1 innings.
In their second contest of the day, MU was down 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, where they struck to cut the lead to one. Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J. /Sayreville War Memorial) led off the bottom of the frame with a single to left, and after advancing on an error and fielder's choice, was driven home on a pinch hit single from Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa. /Nazareth Academy).
Mehrer started the contest in the circle, going four innings. She surrendered five hits, one unearned run, walked two and struck out four. She was relieved by Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson), who pitched the final three innings of the game, giving up one hit and one earned run while allowing three walks and striking out three batters.
Last season MU left the Rebel Games with a 6-4 record.
Monmouth returns to action on Tuesday, March 17 when they take on Stony Brook in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
