Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Monmouth University softball team erupted for 26 runs and 33 hits en route to an hOURglass Rivalry sweep of Saint Peter's, 15-11 (9 inn.) and 11-4, Saturday afternoon at Jaroschak Field. With the sweep, the Hawks improve to 10-18 (6-4 MAAC), while the Peacocks fall to 1-29 (0-12 MAAC).

Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) led the way, going 6-for-8 with a home run, a double, seven RBI's, three runs scored and a stolen base. Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, Calif./Saugus) also went 5-for-10 with a home run, two doubles, eight RBI's and two runs scored. Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, Hawaii/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) scored a team-best six runs with three singles, three RBI's, two walks and a hit by pitch. Kayleena Flores (Atwater, Calif./Buhach Colony) hit for the cycle over the two games, singling and doubling in Game 1 before homering and tripling in Game 2. She scored five runs and stole a base.

Brooke Redmond (Cooksville, Md./Glenelg) went 3-for-5 with her first-career home run, a double and three RBI's in Game 2. Justene Reyes (Carson, Calif./Warren) reached safely in 10-of-11 plate appearances, finishing 2-for-3 with four hit by pitches, three walks, two singles and five runs scored. Jill Freese (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) chipped in, going 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, a run scored and an RBI in Game 1. Emma Hill (Rae, Mo./King City [Highland C.C.]) added three hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored, while Chloe Howerth (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) also contributed three hits.

Amanda Riley (Tracy, Calif./John C. Kimball) earned the Game 1 victory in the circle, pitching 7.0 innings of relief. She allowed five earned runs on 10 hits and three walks, while striking out two. Breanna Sniffen (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange [St. Petersburg College]) took the Game 2 win, allowing just one earned run on five hits and one walk in 5.0 innings of relief. She struck out one.

“I was pleased to see our bats come to life today and to win two conference games on the road,” said Monmouth Head Coach Louie Berndt. “It wasn't pretty in the first game, but we pulled it together late and were able to get two wins.”

Monmouth got things going with two outs in the top of the first of Game 1. Umiamaka was hit by a pitch before going first-to-third on a Reyes single. Reyes moved to second on the throw and both runners scored on Shotzbarger's double scorched off the tip of the third baseman's glove inside the left field line.

The Hawks tacked on three more runs in the top of the second to make it 5-0. Cardoza singled up the middle and Freese was hit by a pitch before Raelynn Galindo (Yorba Linda, Calif./Yorba Linda) doubled on a line drive inside the right field line to score Cardoza. After Howerth singled to short to load the bases, Umiamaka hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Freese. Reyes' single through the left side once again loaded the bases before Shotzbarger drew a walk to force in another run, pushing the Monmouth lead to 5-0.

Saint Peter's posted a six-run bottom of the second to take a 6-5 lead. After Monmouth starting pitcher Sydney Underhill (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) struck out the leadoff batter in the bottom of the second, five-straight Peacocks reached safely on three singles, a hit-by-pitch and a walk to cut the Monmouth lead to 5-2 and chase Underhill from the game. Sniffen then walked in a third run, allowed a fourth to score on a sacrifice fly and two more on a Lee Harrison single through the left side before recording the final out of the frame.  

The Peacocks added a pair of runs in the third on a Taylor Corretjer RBI single and a run-scoring fielder's choice from Nicole Olmedo to make it an 8-5 lead. Monmouth responded with three runs in the top of the fourth. Shotzbarger's single up the middle scored Umiamaka with the first run before Cardoza hit a sacrifice fly to center that was dropped, putting runners on first and second while Reyes scored. After a Freese walk loaded the bases, Galindo hit a sacrifice fly to score Shotzbarger, tying the game at 8-8.

Monmouth took a 9-8 lead in the top of the sixth. Flores doubled to center, took third on a Cardoza single and scored on a throwing error on the play. Corretjer and Olmedo began the bottom of the sixth with a single and a double, respectively. Following a groundout to third, Riley got another ground ball to third, but Cardoza looked back to third twice before throwing late to first to load the bases. Umiamaka cut down the would-be tying run at the plate on a force out, but Riley then walked in the tying run. Nicole Feoli then drove in two with a two-out single to left, putting Saint Peter's up, 11-9.  

The Hawks battled back to tie the game at 11-11 in the top of the seventh. Galindo was hit by a pitch before a fielder's choice left Hill at first with one out. A stolen base and a groundout later, the Hawks were down to their final out. Umiamaka singled through the left side to cut the deficit to one before Reyes was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Shotzbarger then served a single into center to score Umiamaka, tying the game at 11-11.

Monmouth scored four runs in the top of the ninth. Hill singled, stole second, moved to third on a Howerth double and scored on a Umiamaka sacrifice fly. A two-out, two-run single by Cardoza gave Monmouth some breathing room before Freese singled on the infield to give the Hawks a 15-11 lead.

Saint Peter's put runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth before Howerth tracked down a lined shot to the gap in left to end the game.

In Game 2, the Peacocks struck first when Harrison led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball. Monmouth got the run back in the top of the second when Flores hit an inside-the-park home run to right. Flores' fly ball to right went just over right fielder Stacey Klempel's glove and off the wall. Klempel crashed into the wall and couldn't locate the ball that had caromed toward the foul line, allowing Flores to round the bases.

Saint Peter's scored twice In the bottom of the second. Francesca D'Amato singled to short, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on a Feoli infield single. Feoli also stole second and scored on Harrison's single to left, making it 3-1 Peacocks.

Monmouth tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the third. Reyes was hit by a pitch for the fourth time on the day and Cardoza hit an infield single. Redmond then doubled off the left field wall with two outs to score both base runners.

Redmond broke the tie with a solo home run on a high fly ball to left in the top of the fifth, giving Monmouth a 4-3 lead. The Hawks added four runs in the sixth. Shotzbarger's line-drive, three-run home run to left scored Umiamaka and Reyes to make it 7-3. Later in the inning, Flores tripled to center and scored on a throwing error to make it 8-3.

Saint Peter's got a run back on Feoli's two-out bloop single to left to score D'Amato in the bottom of the sixth, but Cardoza knocked an opposite-field three-run home run in the top of the seventh and Sniffen closed out the sweep by limiting the Peacocks to a walk in the bottom of the seventh.

The Hawks return to conference action Sunday, when they play host to Fairfield. First pitch from MU Softball Park is scheduled for 1 p.m.