WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) went 3-for-5, including a 2-for-3 effort in Game 2 as the Monmouth University softball team split with Villanova Thursday afternoon at MU Softball Park. Villanova won Game 1, 9-2, while the Hawks took Game 2, 5-1. With the split, the Hawks move to 14-14, while the Wildcats are now 26-15.

Derer went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBI's as the Hawks won Game 2. Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) went 3-for-7, while Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) and Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) added two hits each. Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) also finished with two RBI's.

Alissa Schoelkopf (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) picked up the Game 2 victory in the circle, going the distance while scattering 10 hits without walking a batter, striking out three. Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took the loss in Game 1, allowing eight runs, four earned, on nine hits and four walks in three innings. Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) went the final four innings of Game 1, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk.   

The Hawks struck first in Game 1 with two runs in the bottom of the first. Derer singled, before moving to second on a throwing error. She then came around to score on Vanessa Cardoza's (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) RBI single up the middle. Schumacher then singled home Cardoza to stake the Hawks to a 2-0 lead.

Villanova then struck for eight runs in the third to blow things open. The Wildcats did their damage on six hits, three walks and an error. They then added an insurance run on an RBI groundout in the seventh to account for the final 9-2 score.

The Hawks again hung a two spot on the board in the bottom of the second in Game 2. Scherr walked before Derer tripled off the base of the center field wall to plate the first run. Derer then scored on Schumacher's sacrifice fly to left field to make it 2-0 Hawks.

A pair of Villanova doubles by Tessa Braga and Molly Manning brought in the Wildcats' only run of Game 2. The Hawks added three insurance runs in the fourth inning. Flores started the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error. A wild pitch moved her to third, before Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) walked to put runners on the corners. Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) then reached on a throwing error, but received an RBI on the would-be groundout as Flores had already broken for the plate from third prior to the errant throw to first. Derer then doubled to left center to bring home both Paprocki and DeSanto.

The Hawks return to Northeast Conference action Saturday, when they travel to intrastate rival Fairleigh Dickinson. First pitch from Teaneck is scheduled for 1 p.m.