HAMDEN, Conn. ? The Monmouth University softball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon, winning the first game 5-4 and falling in the second contest 8-2. MU is now 25-16-1 and finishes the league portion of its ledger at 11-7, while the Bobcats move to 16-28 and 8-8 in the league. The Hawks qualified for the NEC Tournament with the split, joining Long Island and Sacred Heart in the league postseason.
The Hawks trailed Quinnipiac 4-2 entering their final at-bat when sophomore Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc./DC Everest) belted a game-winning, three-run home run to center to give MU the win.
MU scored its first run when junior Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) belted a solo home run to left in the second inning. The Bobcats then struck for three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Monmouth added its second tally when Nicola drove home Nichole Alvarez (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) with a RBI groundout in the sixth, which set up deLong's heroics.
Sophomore Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township) started the game, pitching the first 4.0 innings en route to a no-decision. She gave up four hits and three earned runs, while striking out five and walking no one. Abby Martin (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) earned the win in relief, improving to 2-1, pitching the final 3.0 innings, giving up four hits and one unearned run.
Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) went 3-for-4 in the first game, while Martin added a double.
Monmouth got on the board first in the second game when Alvarez drove home Ferrara with a single. The Bobcats added two runs in the bottom of the first and one in third to take a 3-1 lead. The Hawks cut the lead to one in the fourth when freshman Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) drove home Nicola, who had doubled.
Martin started the second game in the circle, going the first 2.0 innings, giving up three hits and two runs with one strikeout. Mehrer took the loss in the second game in relief, going 3.0 innings, allowing six hits and four runs. Dara Palms (Humble, Tex./Humble) finished the game, pitching the last inning, giving up two runs.
