WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.-The Monmouth softball team (4-1) faced off against the Furman Paladins and the Winthrop Eagles in the first day of play at the Winthrop Combat Tournament. The Hawks defeated the Paladins (5-8) by a score of 4-2, but lost to the host Winthrop Eagles (5-8) by a score of 8-7 in extra innings.
Head Coach Louie Berndt said of the day's results, "We really didn't play like we practice. We practice every day to 'finish it' and we didn't do our jobs. Very disappointing when you know they can do. Tomorrow is another day so we need to take care of business."
Senior Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) propeled the Hawks by going 2-2 with four RBI against the Paladins. Senior Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) also went 2-2 with a walk. Sophomore Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) tallied two runs in the victory.
Senior Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) pitched a complete game with five hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Barnett held Furman scoreless through six innings, while the Paladins scored the two runs off of wild pitches late in the seventh to cut the lead in half. Despite the earned runs from Furman's Alexis Galinski and Lauren Collier, Barnett forced a two-out groundout to end the game with the Hawks' impending victory intact.
In the second game, junior Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) gave the Hawks an early 1-0 lead with a home run in the first inning. The Hawks continued the early barrage of runs with a home run from sophomore Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony). Cardoza got a signle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Junior Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) got a walk, and was able to steal second while Cardoza stole third, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Schumacher got a single sending DeSanto home, pushing the lead to 4-0.
In the fourth inning, freshman Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) contributed a single, advancing senior Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) and Cardoza to home. Kuzma scored on a Schumacher, pushing the lead to seven. Senior Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took the mound to start the game, but the Eagles scored three runs in the third inning to trim the lead to 7-3. Sulick was then replaced by freshman Cerissa Rivera (Westminster, Calif./Fountain Valley).
Rivera pitched 4.2 innings in relief, throwing four strikeouts and maintaining the Hawks' four-run lead. However, the seventh inning turned the tide for the Hawks as Winthrop blasted consecutive no-out home runs to trim the lead to 7-5. A groundout by the Eagles' Chelsey Schoenfeldt came before Rivera gave up two more back-to-back home runs to tie the game. Sulick came back in to relieve Rivera and finish the inning off without giving up more runs.
The Hawks were unable to tally a run in the top half of the inning, and a single by the Eagles' McKenzie Corn advanced Kim Ryder to home, ending the game in extra innings. Monmouth will continue play tomorrow morning in the Combat Tournament against the University of Hartford at 11:00 a.m. and the University of Dayton at 1:00 p.m.
