Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. –
Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, Hawaii/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) and
Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) each homered and
Sydney Underhill hurled a complete game as the Monmouth University softball team defeated Princeton, 4-2, Wednesday afternoon at MU Softball Park. With the win, the Hawks' first ever against Princeton, Monmouth moves to 4-11. The Tigers are now 7-13.
Freese went 2-for-2 on the day, while Umiamaka scored twice and drove in two.
Emma Hill (Rae, Mo./King City [Highland C.C.]) added a single, two stolen bases and a run scored.
Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony),
Katie Baron (Matawan, N.J./St. John Vianney) and
Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Oceanview) also chipped in with one hit apiece.
Underhill limited the Tigers to two runs, one earned, on four hits and one walk, while striking out four. Ashley LaGuardia took the loss for Princeton, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits and two walks in three innings pitched. She struck out three, while uncorking two costly wild pitches. Claire Klausner pitched three innings in relief, allowing one run on Freese's homer, while scattering five hits without walking a batter. She struck out four.
“I was glad to see we finally started to hit the ball,” said Monmouth Head Coach
Louie Berndt. “If we score first, that just gives our pitching and defense some confidence. So, I thought Syd came out and did a good job shutting them down. And I was just pleased to see some other kids start hitting the ball because we've been in some bad slumps. We still need to play solid on defense, because we can't keep making some of the mistakes that we've been making.”
After Underhill stranded the bases loaded in the first, Hill walked, stole two bases and scored on Umiamaka's one-out fielder's choice. Umiamaka moved to second on a throwing error on the play, took third on a wild pitch and scored on another errant offering from LaGuardia to stake the Hawks to a 2-0 lead after one.
Umiamaka made the Monmouth lead 3-0 in the third with a solo shot that landed atop the batting cage beyond the left-field fence. Meanwhile, Underhill retired 10 straight Princeton batters from the end of the first through the fourth to keep the Tigers off the board.
Princeton scratched across their two runs in the top of the fifth. Kelsey Smith led off with a single up the middle, before Marissa Reynolds doubled to center to put runners on second and third. Pinch hitter Kayla Bose drove in the Tigers' first run with a groundout to short. The Hawks had the second run pegged at the plate on Rachel Rendina's fielder's choice to third, but Cardoza's throw home was dropped, cutting Monmouth's lead to 3-2.
Freese one-upped Umiamaka with a solo blast over the batting cage in left to give Monmouth an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Underhill pitched around a one-out infield single to close out the victory in the seventh.
The Hawks are slated to begin MAAC play Saturday, when they travel to hOURglass rival Rider. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lawrenceville, N.J.
