SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Monmouth University softball team ran its winning streak to seven straight games on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping Seton Hall in a nonconference doubleheader at Ivy Hill Park, 4-0 and 11-1. The Hawks, who swept the Pirates for the first time since 2007 on Wednesday, improve to 12-9 on the season, while SHU falls to 7-19.
"We played another two games of good, quality softball," said Monmouth head coach Louie Berndt. "Both pitchers were on their game today and Jessica Nicola called two outstanding games behind the plate and had some great at-bats. I hope we continue to play complete games and execute when we need to."
MU's seven-game winning streak is its longest since it rattled off that same number at the end of the 2008 campaign. The Hawks used a dominating pitching performance from junior Melissa Mehrer (Florence, N.J. /Florence Township) to shut Seton Hall out in the first contest, 4-0, while the offense, paced by senior Jessica Nicola's (South Amboy, N.J. /Sayreville War Memorial) two home runs, was the story in the second game.
Mehrer won her sixth straight start in the first contest, logging her team-best eighth complete game of the season. She gave up four hits while striking out a season-high eight batters against only one walk. She did not allow a base runner past second base in the game, improving to 7-5 with the win. Nicola, who logged multi-hit games in both contests on Wednesday, went 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBI's and three runs scored in the second game. She now has 17 career home runs, which ties her for third place on the all-time Monmouth list with former teammate Dawn Gilchrist. She also went 2-for-4 with a RBI double in the first game.
In the afternoon's first game, the Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when freshman Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa. /Kiski Area), who led off the frame with a double to right center field, came around to score. MU increased its advantage to 2-0 in the next inning when Nicola drove in freshman Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa. /Nazareth Area), who reached on a bunt single, with a two-bagger down the left field line.
Scherr, who scored three runs in the first game, came around to score again in the fifth and seventh to account for the remainder of the Monmouth's runs. The freshman went 2-for-3 at the dish, adding a triple in the final inning.
The second game was an offensive explosion for the Hawks as they accounted for 11 runs and 12 hits in the contest. MU scored three runs in each of the first two innings, adding four in the third and one in the fifth as the contest ended in five frames due to the mercy rule.
Nicola's big day at the plate was supplemented by Weiser, went 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored in the second game. Junior Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc. /DC Everest) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while freshman Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J. /Colts Neck) enjoyed a 2-for-3 day at the dish in the second game, adding three RBI's and her first collegiate triple. Senior Alexa Ferrara (West Caldwell, N.J. /James Caldwell) added a pair of RBI's, while freshman Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa/ Saint Basil Academy) scored a pair of runs.
Monmouth University returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Long Island University at 1:00 pm on Fan Appreciation Day. The Hawks and Blackbirds are both currently undefeated in Northeast Conference play, sporting 5-0 and 6-0 league records, respectively.
