BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Monmouth University softball team opened the 2015 campaign by splitting a pair of games at the Hampton Inn/Camel Stampede Saturday. The Hawks fell to Morehead State, 6-2, before bouncing back against an unanticipated opponent in MAAC foe Fairfield with a 3-2 victory. Due to bus trouble for the Hawks' original opponent, IPFW, Monmouth and Fairfield agreed to square off rather than not playing.

Raelynn Galindo (Yorba Linda, Calif./Yorba Linda) led the Hawks with a hit and two RBI's on the day, while Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) added a hit and two runs scored. Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, Hawaii/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) had a hit and a run scored in her Monmouth debut, while Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) and Emma Hill (Rae, Mo./King City [Highland C.C.]) also chipped in one hit apiece. Chloe Howerth (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) and Justene Reyes (Carson, Calif./Warren) also scored a run apiece for Monmouth.

Amanda Riley (Tracy, Calif./John C. Kimball) earned her the win in her first collegiate action against Fairfield, hurling five innings of one-run ball. She scattered three hits and three walks, while striking out two. Sydney Underhill took the loss against Morehead State, but bounced back with a save against Fairfield. On the day, she allowed five runs, two earned, on nine hits and two walks, while striking out four. 

The Hawks' offense sputtered in the first game against Morehead State, as Monmouth got its lone hit in the seventh inning. Already trailing, 5-0, Monmouth put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth without benefit of a hit. Reyes led off with a walk and advanced two bases on an error with Howerth at the plate. Reyes scored on a wild pitch that pushed Howerth to third, before the latter scored on a Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Oceanview) sacrifice.

Morehead tallied an insurance run in the top of the seventh, and in spite of a leadoff walk from Umiamaka and the Hawks' first hit of the game by Flores to open the frame, Monmouth couldn't scratch across any runs.

Underhill took the loss, allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits and a walk in four innings pitched. She struck out four. Breanna Sniffen (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange [St. Petersburg College]) hurled three innings in relief, allowing two earned runs on four hits and four walks. Mackenzie Grossman picked up the complete-game victory for Morehead State, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and four walks, while striking out eight.

Against Fairfield, the Hawks manufactured two runs in the second. Umiamaka led off the frame with a single through the right side before moving to second on Freese's one-out walk. Reyes was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Umiamaka crossed home on a Galindo fielder's choice. Freese would then score on a Howerth groundout to make it 2-0 after two innings.

The Hawks added another tally in the fourth, as Freese led off with a single, moved to second on a Reyes groundout and scored on a Galindo one-out single up the middle to give Monmouth a 3-0 lead.

Fairfield got on the board in the top of the fifth, when Nicole Capra was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on a Brianna Levick sacrifice and scored on a Lauren Filicia groundout to cut the Hawks' lead to 3-1.

A one-out hit-by-pitch and an infield single set the table for Kate Robinson's RBI single to right center, cutting Monmouth's lead to 3-2. But faced with runners on the corners and one out, Underhill induced a line out and after a walk loaded the bases with two outs, the sophomore southpaw got another line out to escape without further damage.   

Monmouth loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn't scratch across an insurance run. However, it didn't matter as Underhill stranded the tying run at third in the top of the 7^th to secure the save. 

The Hawks conclude Camel Stampede action tomorrow, when they face host Campbell at 12:30 p.m.