NORFOLK, Va. – Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia), Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) and Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) had four hits each as the Monmouth University softball team split a pair of games to open its season at the Norfolk State Spartan Classic Saturday. The Hawks fell to Delaware, 9-4, before defeating the host Spartans, 8-6.

Fitzgerald and Freese each went 4-for-6 on the day, while Cardoza went 4-for-8. Freese scored a team-best three runs on the day, while also driving in a pair. Fitzgerald, Cardoza and Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) also scored twice each. Cardoza also homered on the day. Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) and Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) added three hits apiece, with Flores and Justene Reyes (Carson, Calif./Warren) finishing the day with two RBI's each.

Sydney Underhill (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) got the start and took the loss in the circle in the Delaware game, before bouncing back to record her first-career save against Norfolk State. On the day, she allowed eight runs, only four earned, on 10 hits and three walks, while striking out three in 6.2 innings pitched. She held the Spartans off the scoreboard in 1.2 innings, including a pair of inherited baserunners, to pick up the save. Breanna Sniffen (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange [St. Petersburg College] started and earned the win against Norfolk State. On the day, she allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and three walks, striking out four in 6.1 innings pitched. She went 5.1 innings in picking up the victory over the Spartans.  

After three scoreless frames to start the Delaware game, the Hawks (the designated away team) struck for four runs in the top of the fourth. Cardoza started the rally with a solo home run to left center, before Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, Calif./Saugus) walked. With one out, Schumacher reached on a fielding error before the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Freese then delivered a two-run single to right center and advanced into scoring position on the throw home. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Freese scored on a Fitzgerald single to right to stake Monmouth to a 4-0 lead.

The cushion was short lived, however, as the Blue Hens responded with a four-run fourth of their own. The first two batters of the inning walked, before moving to second and third on a wild pitch. An RBI single by Shelby Jones and a three-run home run by Carolyn Szymanski tied the game at 4-4 after four innings.

Delaware added another four spot in the bottom of the fifth. A run scored with the aid of a pair of errors on the infield, which later loomed large in setting the stage for Jones' two-run triple. Jones came in to score on a Hannah George single, giving the Blue Hens an 8-4 lead. Sniffen replaced Underhill in the circle for the sixth and was greeted rudely by Jessica Grisler, who homered to right-center on a 2-1 pitch to lead off the inning. Monmouth went down in order in the seventh to secure the win for Delaware.  

In the Norfolk State contest, the Hawks immediately threatened in the bottom of the first. Fitzgerald walked and DeSanto singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. A 5-3 double play left only DeSanto on second base, but the threat was not fully extinguished as Cardoza singled to put runners on the corners. After Cardoza stole second, Shotzbarger drew a walk to load the bases. Two runs then scored on a Flores infield single to put the Hawks on top, 2-0, after one inning.

Just as in the first game of the day, the Hawks' initial lead of the game would be not be held for long. Sniffen surrendered three doubles to her first four batters faced, the last of which was a two-run double to right by Liz Riley. A third run came in to score on a fielder's choice, giving the Spartans a 3-2 lead.

Monmouth drew even in the bottom of the second. Freese led off with an infield single, before moving to second on a one-out Fitzgerald walk. DeSanto's infield single loaded the bases before Reyes' sacrifice fly scored Freese to tie the game at 3-3.   

The Hawks sparked a two-out rally to push across four more runs in the third inning. Schumacher walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on another Freese infield single. One wild pitch moved Freese to second and another scored Schumacher and put Freese on third. Freese scored when the Spartans' shortstop couldn't handle a Nikki Sandelier (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) ground ball. After Fitzgerald singled up the middle to put runners on first and second, Norfolk State made a pitching change. But new pitcher Stephanie Wheatley couldn't help her own cause, allowing Sandelier to score on her own throwing error. A wild pitch then allowed Fitzgerald to score, giving Monmouth a 7-3 lead.

Norfolk State cut the deficit in half on Alina Moriarty's two-out, two-run home run to left in the top of the fourth. The Hawks tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, when Fitzgerald and DeSanto had consecutive one-out hits, before Reyes plated Fitzgerald with a single through the left side. Norfolk State got a run back in the top of the sixth on a Moriarty infield single. The Spartans further threatened with runners on first and second with one out in the inning. But Underhill came on to induce consecutive ground balls to get out of the inning. She then held the Spartans off the scoreboard in the seventh to record her first-career save.

The Hawks conclude Spartan Classic action Sunday, when they face Delaware at 9 a.m. and UMBC at 11 a.m.