MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. ? The Monmouth University softball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon with Robert Morris, dropping the first game 7-2 and coming back to win the nightcap 5-4. The Hawks not sit at 13-21-1 and 5-7 in the league while the Colonials are 21-17 and 9-3 in the conference.
In the second game, the Hawks pounded out 12 hits en route to the 5-4 comeback win. The game was scoreless after three innings when Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) led off the top half of the fourth with a single. After advancing on an error and a fielder's choice, she came around to score on Alexa Ferrara's (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) sacrifice to put MU up 1-0.
The Colonials struck for two runs in the bottom of the frame on Monmouth starter Abby Martin (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego), but the Hawks came back to score two in the top of the fifth. Kara O'Dell (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) led off the inning by reaching on an error by the second baseman and pinch runner Gina Mignogna (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenaoe Regional) came around to score on Nichole Alvarez's (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) triple. Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest) drove in Alvarez with a two-out single to up MU up 3-2. Robert Morris tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be all the hosts would score for the remainder of the contest.
The Hawks would add a run in both the sixth and seventh innings each for the 5-4 win. In the fifth, Ferrara singled to left and pinch runner Jessellyn Jackson (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck) scored on a single from Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa./Nazareth Academy), and the winning run came in the sixth when Alvarez singled, was sacrificed twice to third and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
Martin pitched 6.1 innings to earn her first collegiate win, giving up seven hits and three earned runs. She struck out two and walked two before giving way to fellow freshman Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township), who got the save after recording the final two outs of the game.
Alvarez went 4-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with two runs and a RBI, and deLong was 2-for-3 with a run driven in. Nicola went 3-for-4 with a run in the second game for the Hawks.
In the first game, Robert Morris scored four runs in the bottom of the second and went on to a 7-2 win over the Hawks. Monmouth starter Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) pitched three innings, giving up four hits and seven earned runs to fall to 6-9 on the season. Martin pitched three innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits and striking out four. Alvarez went 2-for-4 while Monmouth's runs were scored by Nicola and Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes). Ferrara went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the first game.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow when they visit Saint Francis (Pa.) for a twinbill with the Red Flash. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.
