WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team was swept in a Northeast Conference doubleheader by Wagner, losing 11-7 and 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at the MU Softball Complex. The Hawks fall to 12-17-1 and 4-4 in the league, while the Seahawks improve to 16-15 and 4-4 in the conference.
In the nightcap, Monmouth loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 4-2, but was only able to push one across, falling by a run, 4-3. Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) just missed out on hitting for the cycle in the second game, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, her second triple of the day and two singles. She drove in a run and scored a pair of runs in the game.
Freshman Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township) came on in relief of fellow newcomer Dara Palms (Humble, Tex./Humble) and pitched 6.2 innings of six-hit softball, keeping the Seahawks at bay. Mehrer only allowed one, struck out two and didn't walk a batter. Palms, who fell to 2-2 with the loss, allowed four hits and three earned runs in a third of an inning of work.
Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in the second game. Reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa./Nazareth Academy) added a run scoring double for the Hawks.
In the first game, Monmouth was done in by a six-run fifth inning by Wagner as the Seahawks posted an 11-7 victory. MU struck for a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings and mounted a late threat in the seventh, but couldn't get any closer than the four run final deficit.
Alvarez went 3-for-4 in the first game with a triple, stolen bases and two runs scored for Monmouth. Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) went 2-for-3 and deLong went 2-for-5, as each played logged an RBI and a run scored. Nicola added a triple to go along with a RBI and a run scored. Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) went a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored in the game, and Jurewicz drove in a run as Candice Palumbo (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) had a double and a run scored.
Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) was credited with the loss after giving up 15 hits and 11 earned runs in six innings of work. The junior, who struck out six and walked none, falls to 6-7 with the defeat. Palms worked a perfect seventh inning in relief for the Hawks.
Monmouth University returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, April 13 when they host defending NEC regular season and tournament champion Long Island at 12:00 p.m.
