DAYTONA, Fla.-The Monmouth softball team tallied 18 hits and 10 runs in the two games against Bethune-Cookman University on Tuesday. Monmouth lost 4-2 in the first match, then bounced back with an 8-2 romping of the Wildcats. The Hawks are 9-4 on the season and the Wildcats fall to 4-24.
Senior Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) led Monmouth with five hits in eight at-bats, three of the runs coming in the second game. She went 2-4 in game one with two RBI, then went 3-4 in game two with two runs against Bethune-Cookman.
Sophomores Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) and Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) provided three hits apiece in the second game as well. Flores went 3-4 with two runs and two RBI in game two, while Cardoza went 3-4 and posted three runs and one RBI. Senior Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) gave Monmouth two RBI on a 1-4 outing in the second match.
Head Coach Louie Berndt said of the afternoon, "I'm disappointed we didn't move runners as once again we left too many people on bases. We need to do a better job of that. Some good innings here and there but all in all we need to do a better job."
Game one saw all of the action come in the third inning. Freshman Nikki Sandelier (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) drew a while, while senior Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) lined a single down the right field line and moving Sandelier to second. A groundout by junior Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) pushed both of them forward a base, and a Weiser single batted both Sandelier and Derer home. The Hawks were unable to generate further offense, but took the 2-0 lead over the Wildcats.
In the bottom of the third, catcher Merissa Berouty got things started with a single to center field. A sacrifice bunt by Breanna Chavez sent Berouty to second. A single by Calesha Shelley took Berouty to third, who reached home on a Cardoza error. A catcher interference allowed Aurelia Gamch to reach on base and a single by Simone Caesar sent Gamch to third and brought Shelley around the bases, tying the game at two runs apiece.
A single by Kelsey Rodney batted Gamch home and sent Caesar to third. Then, a single by Michele Banuelos-Smith and a drawn walk by Sophia Ortega pushed everyone up a base and scored Caesar. The Wildcats didn't draw any more runs that inning, but those proved more than enough in the first game. Senior Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) took the loss, dropping her record to 3-2. Samantha Gale improved her record for Bethune-Cookman to 2-6.
The Hawks jump-started the second contest with a DeSanto bunt single and a Weiser single. DeSanto scored from second on a single by Flores, giving Monmouth the 1-0 lead. Cardoza reached first on a fielding error by Gamch, Flores advanced to second, and Weiser almost scored but was called out at the plate, ending the inning. The Hawks put up two more runs in the fourth inning. Singles by Flores and Cardoza got the inning started, and a sacrifice bunt by junior Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) pushed them forward a base. A Fitzgerald single brought Flores and Cardoza across home, extending the lead to 3-0 before the inning ended.
The fifth inning saw Monmouth reap the defensive spoils with two more runs. Weiser singled to left field, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Kate Kuzma (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck). Cardoza proceeded to single and steal second. Schumacher singled to left field and brought Cardoza around the plate. Monmouth possessed a 5-0 lead through five innings.
The Wildcats got on the board in the sixth inning to trim the lead. A single by Gamch and a hit-by-pitch on Rodney by senior Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) gave Bethune-Cookman base runners. A single by Ortega sent Gamch across home plate. A single by Shamaria Engram sent Rodney across home, trimmimg the lead to 5-2 in Monmouth's favor.
The Hawks came out in the seventh inning with a Weiser single and an advancement on a Kuzma sacrifice bunt. She was batted around the bases on a Flores single to center field. A single by Cardoza and a reach on a passed ball sent Flores to third the same play. Schumacher brought them home with a fielding error on Gamch, giving the Hawks three runs in the inning and the win.
Monmouth continues Floridian game action tomorrow with a doubleheader against Central Florida. The games are slated for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
