COLLEGE STATION, Tex. ? The Monmouth University softball team beat Texas Southern 10-0 in five innings to conclude its stay at the Texas A&M Invitational on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks depart Texas with a 3-2 record, topping Texas Southern in all three meetings.

MU struck for four runs in the bottom of the first inning paced by senior Lee Simonetti's (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) leadoff double. She came around to score on sophomore Emily deLong's (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest) single to center.

The Hawks tallied three more runs in the second inning on run-scoring hits from junior Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) and senior Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa./Nazareth Academy). Nicola and Candice Palumbo (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) delivered run-scoring hits, including a double to left center from the senior third base fielder, to put the Hawks up 9-0 through four. Sophomore Abby Martin (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) doubled and scored Monmouth's final run to complete the 10-0 win.

Freshman pitcher Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) picked up her first collegiate win in the circle, hurling a four-hit shutout. She struck out eight and walked only one in five innings.

Senior Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) scored two runs and picked up her fourth stolen base of the season in the game. deLong was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Nicola went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Jurewicz added a pair of RBI in the contest as well.

Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, March 7 when they host St. John's from the BIG EAST in a single game in West Long Branch.