WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team swept Columbia, 3-1 and 8-0 on Sunday afternoon behind strong pitching efforts from senior Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) and sophomore Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township)  and a big offensive day from sophomore Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest). The Hawks, who have now won five straight games, improve to 10-3 on the season while the Lions fall to 7-14. Monmouth is off to its best start since the 2000 season, when they began the year 15-1.  

Sawlsville earned the win in the day's first game, pitching 5.1 perfect innings to improve to 4-3 on the season. She surrendered three hits and one unearned run in the game, striking out seven and walking two.

The Hawks got on the board in the first game in the bottom of the first when deLong drilled a two-out triple to left center and came around to score on junior Jessica Nicola's (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) single through the left side. MU would add a run in the fifth when freshman Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) doubled to lead off the frame and was chased home by sophomore Abby Martin's (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) double. deLong would conclude Monmouth's first game scoring with a solo home run to right field.

Mehrer improved her season record to 5-0, pitching five shutout innings in MU's 8-0 game two win. She allowed two hits and struck out three without walking a batter in the Hawks mercy rule win in the second game.

MU exploded for eight runs in the second game as the top three hitters in the lineup, Paprocki, deLong and junior Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) went a combined a 8-12 with six runs driven in and five runs scored. In all, eight Hawks had a at least one hit in the second game as the Blue and White pounded out 14 total hits.

Paprocki went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, deLong went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs and Ferrara went 3-for-4 with two runs driven in a run scored. Nicola added a RBI-double in the third inning and senior Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) went 2-for-2 with a run scored. Martin scored on a RBI ground out from sophomore Dara Palms (Humble, Tex./Humble) in the fifth inning, when the Hawks struck for four runs.

Monmouth returns to action on Wednesday, March 25 when they host Stony Brook at 3:00 pm.