NORFOLK, Va. - The Monmouth University softball team opened up the 2011 regular season with a pair of wins at the Spartan Invitational on Saturday, defeating George Washington, 2-1 and host Norfolk State, 6-5.
Junior pitcher Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio /Canfield) pitched a complete-game, four-hitter in the Hawks' 2-1 win over the Colonials. She struck out eight in the contest. She then started the second contest against the host Spartans, but was relieved by senior Dara Palms (Humble, Tex. /Humble), who pitched four innings of shutout relief to earn the win.
In the first game against GW, sophomore Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J. /Colts Neck) singled home classmate Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa. /Saint Basil Academy) in the first to give the Hawks a lead. Derer then chased around freshman Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa. /Upper Darby) with a single in the sixth to put MU up 2-0. The Colonials scored once in the seventh, but Sulick shut the door on them to earn the win.
In the second contest, Norfolk State scored five runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead, but MU responded with sixth in the top of the fourth to take the lead. Monmouth connected for three home runs in the frame as senior Emily deLong (Rothschild, Wisc. /DC Everest) launched a solo shot, Kuzma hit a three-run blast and freshman Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif. /Scrippsa Ranch) drilled a two-run dinger, her first as a Hawk.
MU returns to action tomorrow when it takes on Morgan State at 9:00 am and Iona at 11:00 am.
