WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University softball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Sacred Heart University on Sunday, winning the first game, 1-0 in eight innings and falling, 2-1 in the second contest. The Hawks now move to 18-13 overall and 9-4 in the NEC, while the Pioneers are now 18-19 and 7-5 in the league.
Junior pitcher Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J. /Florence Township) outdueled SHU ace Jen Russell in the first contest, firing a four-hit, complete-game shutout, while Courtney Lee provided the game-winning runs for the visitors in the second game with a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning.
Mehrer won her 10th straight start to improve to 11-5 on the season with her victory in the first game. She logged her 12th complete game of the season, going all eight frames, striking out five and walking three.
Russell, who also threw a complete game, gave up six hits and one run. She struck out and walked four batters apiece to fall to 11-11.
MU was able to push across the first game's lone run in the bottom of the eighth, which started with junior Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc. /DC Everest) blasting a triple to centerfield. Junior Jessica Nicola (South Amboy, N.J. /Sayreville War Memorial) and freshman Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa. /Kiski Area) were subsequently both intentionally walked to load the bases for MU. Senior Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J. /James Caldwell) came through with the game-winning hit through the right side, plating deLong.
Weiser went 2-for-3 for the Hawks in the first game, while Colleen Kelly (Tallmadge, Ohio /Tallmadge) added a pinch-hit single in the seventh.
The Hawks began the second game by scoring the contest's first run in the bottom of the opening frame after Weiser drove in deLong with a single up the middle. The two teams then traded zeroes on the scoreboard until the sixth, when Lee connected for the game-winning, two-run home run to left.
SHU starter Nicola Sidor got the win for the Pioneers, striking out eight Hawks in the complete-game win. Sophomore Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio /Canfield) took the loss for Monmouth, falling to 7-6 on the season. She only surrendered three hits and two earned runs, striking out five and walking two.
MU returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Saint Peter's in a nonconference doubleheader at 3:00 pm.
