WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) went 3-for-5 with three extra base hits and reached base safely in six of eight plate appearances as the Monmouth University softball team split its Northeast Conference doubleheader against Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon at MU Softball Park. The Bobcats took the first game, 6-5, before the Hawks earned the split with a 4-1 Game 2 victory, defeating reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year Heather Schwartzburg. With the split, the Hawks move to 9-8 (2-2 NEC), while Quinnipiac pushes its record to 13-8 (2-2 NEC).

Weiser finished the day with two doubles and a triple for four RBI's and a run scored. She also walked three times. Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) added a 4-for-7 effort with a team-high three runs scored, while Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) and Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) added two hits each. Both of Scherr's hits left the yard in Game 1 for her team-leading fifth and sixth home runs of the season.

Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) picked up the Game 2 victory, allowing just one unearned run on four hits and a walk, while striking out five in seven innings. Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) took the Game 1 loss, allowing six runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits and three walks in the full seven innings.  

Errors plagued the Hawks for the second straight game in the opener, as four Monmouth miscues led to four unearned runs. After the Hawks got on the board first on Weiser's RBI double in the bottom of the first frame, Quinnipiac put up three runs in the top of the second. Consecutive errors to start the inning put runners on first and second before Katie Alfieri's single through the left side brought in the first run. Bridget Figmic also added an RBI single to left field, before Lauren Salgado's fielder's choice scored the third Quinnipiac run.

The Hawks evened the score at 3-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) reached on a leadoff walk, before moving to second on Scherr's sacrifice bunt for the second out. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Fitzgerald scored on Derer's single to left field. Weiser's second double of the game brought in Derer to knot the score at 3-3.

The Hawks retook the lead, 4-3, on Scherr's first home run of the game, a shot to center field in the bottom of the fourth. But Quinnipiac clawed back with three runs in the top of the fifth. Jacquie Ristow led off with a single, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Brittney Cyr then pinch ran for Ristow and, following a Mina Duffy walk, scored on Nikki Barba's single to center. The runners moved up to second and third on a misplay in the outfield on Barba's single, before Duffy beat the throw home on a Kortney Kesses fielder's choice. Barba attempted to score on a pitch to Alfieri that reached the backstop, but Monmouth catcher Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) quickly retrieved the ball to tag Barba out at the plate. The damage wasn't done, however, as Kesses scored an unearned run on Figmic's second RBI single of the day to push the QU lead to 6-4.

Scherr cut the deficit in half with a sixth-inning home run, but Schwartzburg came on in the seventh to shut the door with a one-two-three inning for the save.    

Game 2 started ominously, as the Bobcats scored their fifth unearned run of the day. A throwing error on the first play of the game opened the door for Duffy's two-out RBI single to left center to put QU ahead, 1-0. But Monmouth immediately responded with two runs in the bottom half. After Derer's one-out walk, Weiser's opposite field triple down the right field line tied the game at 1-1. Weiser then scored on Kuzma's fielder's choice to give Monmouth the 2-1 lead.

The one-run cushion proved to be all Sulick would need in the circle. The senior hurler allowed just three hits and a walk the rest of the way, and no Bobcats base runner got past second in the final six frames.

Meanwhile, the Hawks added two insurance runs in the fourth. Flores led off with an infield single before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Flores then crept well off second base, drawing a throw behind her from Quinnipiac catcher Ashley Heiberger. The Hawks freshman easily swiped third on the play, outsmarting the reigning NEC Golden Glove Award winner. With two outs, Flores scored on Alicia DeSanto's (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) bloop single to left. A walk and an infield single loaded the bases, before Weiser patiently drew a walk, forcing in DeSanto to push the Hawks' lead to 4-1.  

The Hawks return to action Wednesday, when they play host to Saint Joseph's for a single game. First pitch from Monmouth Softball Park is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.