WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.-The Monmouth softball team defeated the visiting Bryant Bulldogs Sunday afternoon by scores of 7-1 in game one, and 6-5 in game two. The Hawks improve to 12-9 on the year and 3-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs fall to 5-11 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.
Head coach Louie Berndt said after today's two wins, "We had a long week playing 10 games in 6 days. I'm glad it's over with and looking forward to next weekend."
Senior Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) led the Hawks in the first game with a complete game effort, and improved her record to 4-2 on the season. Senior Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) pitched 6.2 innings in the second outing, and freshman Cerissa Rivera (Westminster, Calif./Fountain Valley) tallied a save with a strikeout.
Sophomore Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) went 6-8 with four runs and one RBI in the two games, and sophomore Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) went 3-5 with an RBI and a game two triple. Senior Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) went 3-6 on Sunday with two RBI, and junior Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) went 3-7 with two RBI, a double and one run.
In the second inning of game one, Bryant first baseman Talia Zizza hit a double to get on base. Kristen Carter then bunted and reached first base on a Flores error from Cardoza. This allowed Zizza to score from second, giving the Bulldogs their lone run of the game.
The fifth inning saw Monmouth get on the board, starting with a drawn walk by junior Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby). A single by Flores and senior Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) loaded the bases. A Scherr sacrifice fly scored DeSanto, tying the game at one apiece. Junior Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) singled to left field and advanced to second on the throw, scoring Weiser and Flores, giving the Hawks a 3-1 lead.
A fielding error on third baseman Taylor Bell allowed freshman Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) to reach first and push Schumacher to third. Schumacher came across home by a Cardoza single, giving the Hawks a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, DeSanto reached on an error by first baseman Jess Benacquista, and moved to second on a Flores single. Weiser reached first on a fielder's choice, sending Flores to second and DeSanto out at third.
A single by Fitzgerald, followed by an advance to second on the throw, sent Weiser to third and Flores home, extending the lead to 5-1. Scherr singled the next at-bat, bringing Fitzgerald and Weiser across home, giving the Hawks the 7-1 lead Bryant would not overcome.
In game two, Bryant got on the board in the first inning. Right fielfer Lauren Guy hit a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Kendall Corder. Shortstop Aubrey Mable drew a walk the next at-bat, and both runners advanced a base off of a flyout by Madeline Velasquez. A Zizza double to left center brought both Guy and Mable across the plate, giving Bryant the 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first, senior Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) drew a walk, and reached second on a DeSanto groundout. Flores singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw, sending Derer across the plate and trimming the lead to 2-1. A Fitzgerald single the next at-bat, followed by an advance to second on the throw, scored Flores from second, tying the game at 2-2 before the inning ended.
The Hawks got on the board again in the fourth inning. Scherr singled to shortstop, and Schumacher followed with a single and an advance to second. Scherr advanced to third on a fielding error on left fielder Carter. Schumacher advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Scherr was caught stealing home by Corder. During the following at-bat, a sacrifice flyout by Freese sent Schumacher home, giving Monmouth the 3-2 lead.
The fifth inning saw the Bulldogs and Hawks get on the board. In the top half of the inning, Carter singled to first base, and a groundout by Guy sent Carter to second. She then advanced to third on a wild pitch, and stole home after Mable drew a walk, tying the game at three. In the bottom half, Flores singled, then Weiser was hit by a pitch. A Fitzgerald flyout to the catcher advanced both runners one base, and a Schumacher single brought both of them home. The Hawks took a 5-3 lead heading into the sixth.
Bryant was unable to generate any offense in the top half of the inning, but the bottom half saw Monmouth tally an additional run. Cardoza led off the inning with a triple, and freshman Nikki Sandelier (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) pinch ran for her, scoring off of a Derer single to center field. Monmouth extended the lead to 6-3
In the top of the seventh, Carter started the inning with a single up the middle, and moved to second on a Guy groundout. Corder then grounded out, but Carter advanced to third. Mable singled to right field, scoring Carter and trimming the lead to 6-4. Velasquez singled to the left side, advancing Mable to second. Zizza reached first on a Barnett fielding error, sending Rivera in to relieve Barnett with two outs. Rivera walked third baseman Tina Eringis, sending Mable home and making the score 6-5. Rivera caught pitcher Elle Madsen striking out while looking, ending the game and Bryant's comeback.
The Hawks will next face Quinnipiac University on Friday, March 29 at 1:00 pm in Hamden, Conn., and Sacred Heart University Saturday, March 30 at 3:30 p.m.
