LORETTO, Pa. -
Freshman third baseman Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) went
3-for-6 for the second-straight day, but the Monmouth University softball was
swept by Saint Francis (Pa.), 7-3 and 14-4, Sunday afternoon. With the losses,
the Hawks fall to 11-11 (3-5 NEC), while the Red Flash improves to 14-12 (4-2
NEC).
Christine Scherr (Nazareth,
Pa./Nazareth Area), Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) and
Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) each added 2-for-4 performances,
while Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) went 2-for-5. Scherr and Kuzma
each hit a home run for the Hawks.
It was a tough day in the
circle for the Hawks' pitchers. Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took
the Game 1 loss, allowing eight runs, six earned, on five hits and three walks
in 3.1 innings pitched, while Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City
C.C.]) was defeated in Game 2, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits
and a walk in 2.0 innings. Alissa Schoelkopf (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township)
pitched in relief in both games, allowing nine runs, seven earned, on 10 hits
and three walks over 6.0 innings. She struck out six.
Scherr homered to lead off
Game 1, but the Red Flash immediately responded in the bottom of the first with
two runs. The Hawks retook the lead in the third on Flores' two-out, two-RBI
single to center. But again, the Red Flash was equal to the task, scoring three
times in the bottom of the third to take a 5-3 lead. Saint Francis added two
insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and took the 7-3 victory.
Saint Francis again matched
each of the Hawks' scoring innings in Game 2 and coasted to the 14-4 victory in
six innings. The Red Flash scored in each of the six innings played. After the
Red Flash scored a run in the bottom of the first, the Hawks scored on
Fitzgerald's two-RBI double in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. But
Saint Francis responded with three runs in the bottom of the second. Down 5-2
entering the fourth, the Hawks scored twice on Kuzma's solo home run and a Tish
Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) RBI single to cut the deficit to
5-4. But once again, Saint Francis responded with two more runs in the bottom
half of the inning.
While the Red Flash pitching
held the Hawks off the scoreboard in the next two innings, the Saint Francis
offense posted four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a
10-run lead and activate the mercy rule. In the sixth, consecutive walks to
start the inning set the stage for a walk-off three-run home run from Chelsea
Rex.
The Hawks return to action Tuesday,
when they face La Salle in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is
scheduled for 3 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.
