HACKENSACK, N.J. - The second-seeded Monmouth University softball team fell to top-seeded Long Island University, 6-2 in the 2010 Northeast Conference Tournament Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at the FDU Softball Field. Earlier in the day, MU defeated fourth-seeded Robert Morris University, 5-4 in the semifinals to advance to take on the top-seeded Blackbirds for the league tournament crown.
With the score tied at 2-2 with one out in the top in the top of the seventh, LIU senior and tournament Most Valuable Player Brynn Lewis connected on a three-run home run to give the Blackbirds a 5-2 advantage. The top seed increased its lead when the next batter, Raylene Asman, went back-to-back with a homer down the left field line.
The Hawks loaded the bases against LIU starter Blaire Porter in the first inning, but were unable to push across a run. MU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va. /Forest Park) singled and came around to score on a wild pitch. MU increased its advantage to 2-0 one batter later when junior centerfielder Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc. /DC Everest) singled home freshman Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa. /Saint Basil Academy).
LIU answered with a pair runs in the top of the third inning to square the contest at 2-2. Lewis connected on an RBI-double for the top-seed, and they manufactured the second run as Mariesha Marker avoided the tag at home on a fielder's choice by Asman for the score.
In the first game of the day, deLong continued her clutch weekend, sending a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for a three-run round-tripper, her second home run of the tournament, to give Monmouth a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
The Hawks started a two-out rally in the frame when Derer reached on a bunt single and classmate Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa. /Nazareth Area) reached on an error and stole second, putting runners on second and third.
Monmouth starter Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio /Canfield) got the win, her second of the weekend, to improve to 14-6 on the season. She gave up a lead-off triple to Colonials' left fielder Jaci Timko, who scored on a wild pitch to give the fourth seed a 1-0 lead after one half inning.
deLong singled with one out in the first, then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Freshman Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa. /Kiski Area) then lifted a 1-1 offering over the left center field fence for her second homer of the season, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
The Colonials responded by striking for three runs in the top of the third, including two on a base hit by Allie Patton, to regain the lead at 4-2.
RMU's Britta Grafton sent a ball towards the fence in left with one out in the sixth that appeared poised to tie the contest, but it fell just short and the Hawks remained ahead by one.
For their efforts, deLong and Sulick were named to the All-Tournament Team.
