NORFOLK, Va. -
Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) homered and drove in four runs
as the Monmouth University softball team won its first two games of the season
at the Norfolk State Spartan Classic, Saturday afternoon. The Hawks used an
eight-run fourth inning against Norfolk State to down the Spartans, 10-4,
before scoring three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to get past
Delaware, 6-3. Freshman Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) had a
team-high three hits on the day, while Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego,
Calif./Scripps Ranch) also homered for the Hawks.
Scherr, Cardoza and
Schumacher led seven Hawks with at least two hits each. Joining the group were
Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia), Chelsea Paprocki
(Manassas, Va./Forest Park), Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) and
Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck). Weiser matched Scherr's team-high four
RBI, while Cardoza, Scherr, Schumacher, Paprocki, Weiser, Jenna Jaquish
(Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley), and Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby,
Pa./Upper Darby) scored two runs each.
Alissa Schoelkopf (Sewell,
N.J./Washington Township) took the win against Norfolk State, allowing three
earned runs on two hits and four walks while striking out eight in four innings
pitched. Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) earned the victory against
Delaware, holding the Blue Hens to two earned runs on four hits and two walks
over four innings, striking out three. Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden
City C.C.]) earned the save in both contests, allowing two runs, one earned, on
nine hits and no walks, striking out five over six innings pitched.
After Norfolk State struck
for three runs in the top of the first against Schoelkopf, the freshman hurler
held the Spartans off the scoreboard for the next three innings. In the bottom
of the fourth, the Hawks erupted for eight runs on seven hits, a walk and a
hit-by-pitch. DeSanto opened the inning with a leadoff walk, before Weiser,
Kuzma, Cardoza and Fitzgerald singled consecutively to chase Norfolk State
starter Liz Riley. Paprocki and Jaquish followed with singles, before Scherr
was hit by a pitch and Weiser cleared the bases with a three-RBI double.
Barnett then completed the
three-inning save, holding the Spartans to one run on four hits without walking
a batter, striking out five. The Hawks tacked on two runs in the bottom of the
sixth, as Kuzma made the Spartans pay for allowing two baserunners to reach on
an error and a hit-by-pitch with a two-RBI double.
Against Delaware, the Hawks
again dug themselves a hole in the first inning before fighting back for the
victory. Sulick surrendered a pair of earned runs in the first inning on three
hits, before Schumacher got the Hawks on the board with a solo blast in the
second inning to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. The Hawks then struck for
three runs in the fifth to make Sulick the pitcher of record on the winning
side. A walk and an error set up a three-run homer by Scherr to put the Hawks
up, 4-2.
After Barnett held the Blue
Hens off the board in the bottom half of the fifth, Paprocki and Scherr
provided RBI singles to push the lead to 6-2. The Blue Hens mustered one run in
the bottom of the seventh off of Barnett, but the junior hurler limited
Delaware to the single tally despite three hits and two errors.
The Hawks return
to Spartan Classic action Sunday, when they face Army and Delaware at 9 a.m.
and 1 p.m. respectively.
