Hamden, Conn.-The Monmouth softball team faced off against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Friday and split the doubleheader, with the Bobcats winning game one and the Hawks winning game two. Quinnipiac won the first game 8-1, and Monmouth took game two 3-0. Monmouth improves to 13-10 on the season, and Quinnipiac sits at 7-19.
Senior Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took the loss in game one and falls to 4-3 on the season. Sophomore Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) went 2-3 with one RBI, and senior Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) also went 2-3 in game one.
In game one, the Bobcats blasted off four runs in the bottom of the first inning to put Monmouth in a big hole. Senior Lauren Solgado reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a single by senior Alex Alba. A double by sophomore Nikki Barba brought Salgado and Alba home, giving Quinnipiac the 2-0 lead. A two-run home run by sophomore Jordan Paolucci extended the Bobcats' lead to 4-0 before the inning ended.
In the top of the second, senior Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) scored the lone Monmouth run of the game. She reached first base on a fielder's choice and moved to second with a single by Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area). A Cardoza single scored Weiser from second base, cutting the Hawks' deficit to 4-1 before the inning.
The bottom of the second saw Quinnipiac extend their lead by two more runs. Sophomore Brittney Cyr reached first on an error by senior Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy). A drawn walk by Solt advanced Cyr to second, and a groundout by Salgado advanced Cyr to third and Solt to second. An Alba groundout to Sulick the next at-bat scored Cyr from third and moved . The next at-bat, Barba reached first base on a Derer error, scoring Solt and giving the Bobcats the 6-1 lead.
Monmouth was unable to generate any additional runs, but Quinnipiac dropped two more runs against the Hawks in the sixth inning. A single by Alba through the left side, along with a wild pitch the next-at bat, put her on second base. A Barba double put Alba at third, where she scored on a groundout by Paolucci, giving Quinnipiac the 7-1 lead. Barba advanced to third the same play, and was brought home the next at-bat, a single to first base by senior Bridget Figmic. That gave the Bobcats the 8-1 lead and game one win.
Senior Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) took the mound in game two and held Quinnipiac scoreless in the effort. She tallied two strikeouts and two hits and improves to 5-4 on the season. Derer went 1-3 with two runs, and Weiser went 2-2 in the second outing.
In the first inning, Derer was hit by a pitch to get on first, then reached second on a wild pitch. A groundout by junior Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) moved Derer to third. She scored on a groundout to short by sophomore Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony), giving the Hawks the early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Derer reached base on a fielding error by second base. She then stole second while DeSanto was at the plate. A single to left field got DeSanto to first. She then reached second, and moved to third on an error by the catcher. Derer scored and gave Monmouth the 2-0 lead. Flores was walked, but was caught stealing second. That gave DeSanto the opportunity to score from third, giving Monmouth the 3-0 lead. Quinnipiac was unable to generate any momentum the second outing, and took the loss.
Monmouth will travel to Fairfield, Conn. to face off against the14-9 Sacred Heart Pioneers Saturday, March 30. After this weekend, Monmouth will travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face off against an Ivy League opponent in the University of Pennsylvania Quakers on Wednesday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m.
