WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Senior center fielder Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas,
Va./Forest Park) doubled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth, as
the Monmouth University softball team edged Saint Joseph's, 3-2, in
non-conference action Wednesday afternoon at MU Softball Park. With the win,
Monmouth improves to 10-8, while Saint Joseph's falls to 10-16.
Kayleena Flores (Atwater,
Calif./Buhach Colony) led the way for the Hawks, going 2-for-2, while coming
around to score after inducing a walk to set the table for Paprocki's heroics
in the sixth. Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Alicia
DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) each added 2-for-3 performances, while
Colleen Kelly (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) knocked a solo home run for Monmouth.
Jordan Barnett (Eads,
Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) left with the lead after five solid innings
pitched, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. Alissa Schoelkopf
(Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) was credited with the win, allowing one
earned run on one hit and two walks, while striking out four in two innings of
relief.
Kelly's two-out home run to
left got the Hawks on the board in the second inning, before Saint Joseph's
answered in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. A walk and a single
put runners on the corners, before Morgan Earling's fielder's choice brought in
Maria Ficca.
Monmouth again surged ahead
in the bottom of the fifth. Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area)
walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Derer then singled to put runners
on the corners, before a wild pitch brought Scherr in to score. While Derer
moved two bases to third on the play, Saint Joseph's pitcher Erin Gallagher limited
the damage with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to strand Derer at third.
With Schoelkopf replacing
Barnett in the circle, the freshman hurler struck out the first two batters she
faced. But a pair of walks followed and came back to bite her, as Deanna
Stinner's pinch-hit two-out RBI single to right brought in the tying run.
Flores led off the bottom of
the sixth with a walk, before moving to second on Kate Kuzma's (Freehold,
N.J./Colts Neck) groundout. Paprocki then doubled to right center to bring in
Flores with what proved to be the game-winning run. After Saint Joseph's
threatened with the leadoff batter reaching on a hit-by-pitch in the top of the
seventh, Schoelkopf got a strikeout and a line-out, before Kuzma caught Nicole
Palase attempting to steal second base to end the game.
The Hawks return to action Saturday,
when they travel to Moon Township, Pa., to take on Robert Morris. First pitch
of the pivotal NEC doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
