WEST HARTFORD, Conn. ? The Monmouth University softball team swept a Northeast Conference doubleheader from Central Connecticut State, winning both games 8-5 on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks improve to 24-15-1 on the season and 10-6 in the league while the Blue Devils fall to 7-30 and 3-11 in the conference.
MU put up two runs in the top of the first in game one when Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest) doubled home senior Lee Simonetti (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) and Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) drove in deLong with a sacrifice fly.
After CCSU tied the game in the bottom of the first, MU exploded for five runs in the fifth, paced by a two-RBI single from junior Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial). The Hawks added one more run in the sixth on a RBI groundout from freshman Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va./Forest Park).
Sophomore Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township) got the win in the first game for MU, improving to 14-8 on the season. She scattered 10 hits in the game, striking out four and walking none.
Simonetti went 2-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored, while Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) went 3-for-3 with two runs driven in. Nicola went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Jaime Jurewicz (Holland, Pa./Nazareth Academy) added a RBI and a run scored.
In the second contest, Nicola got the scoring started again with a two-RBI single in the top of the first. She added a two-RBI double in the third to put the Hawks up 4-2, but the Blue Devils tied the game in the bottom of the frame. The Hawks exploded for four runs in the sixth behind a two-RBI double from senior Candice Palumbo (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough).
Mehrer started the second game as well, pitching the first 1.1 innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs. Dara Palms (Humble, Tex,/Humble) pitched the next two innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs. Abby Martin (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) pitched the final 3.2 innings, earning her first win of the season. She gave up one hit and struck out seven with five walks.
Ferrara went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Nicola went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored in the nightcap.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow when they visit Quinnipiac for a 12:00 pm NEC doubleheader.
