WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University softball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with in-state rival Fairleigh Dickinson, falling in game one 2-1 and winning the second contest 4-0 on Saturday afternoon. MU moves to 20-11-1 overall on the season and 8-4 in the league while the Knights are now 9-29 and 4-10 in the conference.
In the second contest, senior Kristine Sawlsville (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) fired a one-hitter to improve to 8-6 on the season and help the Hawks salvage a split on the day. She tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts and only walked two batters in the game.
MU was able to get on the board in the bottom of the first in the second game when senior Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) scored on a wild pitch. The Hawks struck for two more runs in the third when senior Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) walked and came around to score on a fielding error after Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) singled. The junior then scored on a wild pitch to put the Blue and White up 3-0. Senior Jessellyn Jackson (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck) plated Monmouth's final run in the sixth inning after she singled and came around to score when classmate Candice Palumbo (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) got caught in a run down between first and second.
Nicola and Palumbo each went 2-for-3 in the first game to pace the offense.
FDU came away with a 2-1 win in the first game when pitcher Caitlin Bradac singled home Justina Augustine in the top of the seventh inning. Monmouth took a 1-0 lead in the fourth frame when Alvarez tripled and scored on an error, only to have Fairleigh Dickinson knot the contest up in the next half inning when Brianne Benedict scored on a Bradac double.
Sophomore Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township) took the loss in the first game, falling to 11-5 on the season. She pitched all 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits and giving up two earned runs, while striking out four batters against only one walk.
Alvarez led the offensive charge in the first game, going 3-for-3 with a stolen base.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow when they host Sacred Heart for a 12:00 pm NEC doubleheader. The game will mark MU's Senior Day celebration, and the Hawks will honor the program's six seniors with a brief pregame ceremony.
