PHILADELPHIA – Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) had a two-run single and Kaitie Scumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) added a solo home run, but the Monmouth University softball team fell at Drexel, 5-3, Wednesday afternoon. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 9-12, while the Dragons improve to 14-14.

Lauren Howard (Orange, Calif./Foothill), Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) and Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) added one hit each for the Hawks, while Flores and Freese also scored one run each. Sydney Underhill (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) got the start in the circle and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks in four innings pitched. She struck out three. Breanna Sniffen (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange [St. Petersburg College]) took the loss, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits. She struck out one.

Drexel struck first with a bases-loaded walk in the third and added another run in the fourth when Baeley Reed reached on a fielder's choice, stole both second and third, and scored on an error.

Monmouth drew even on Fitzgerald's two-out, two-run single through the right side in the bottom of the fourth to score Flores and Freese.

Drexel retook the lead on Shelby Taylor's line-drive solo home run in the fifth. The Dragons added two more runs in the top of the seventh. With a runner on first, Leticia Matsuoka hit a line drive right back at Sniffen in the circle. The ball hit Sniffen flush and fell to her feet. Her throw to first sailed high and both Matsuoka and Comfort Akonkhai came all the way around to score.   

Schumacher homered to left center field in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-3, but that was as close as the Hawks could get.

Monmouth returns to MAAC action Saturday, when it travels to Iona. First pitch from New Rochelle, N.Y., is scheduled for noon.