Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LOS ANGELES – Sophomore
Katie Baron (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) went 4-for-7 with her first collegiate home run, a double, three runs scored and two RBI's as the Monmouth University softball team split a pair of games Saturday at the Loyola Marymount Tournament. The Hawks fell to Harvard, 5-4, in the first game, before bouncing back for an 11-2 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson to finish the day. With the split, the Hawks move to 6-5 on the year.
Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, CA/Saugus) and
Jill Freese (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) added three hits apiece, with Shotzbarger doubling, driving in five and scoring twice.
Justene Reyes (Carson, CA/Warren) had two hits, including her team-leading fourth homer of the year, drove in four and scored twice.
Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) also had two hits and an RBI.
Emma Hill (Rae, MO/King City [Highland C.C.]) reached base safely five times on a hit and four walks and added four stolen bases on four attempts.
Chloe Howerth (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah) singled, walked three times and scored three runs.
Sydney Underhill (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) took both decisions in the circle, allowing five runs, but just one earned, on nine hits and three walks in 7.2 innings pitched. She struck out five. Underhill pitched four innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win over FDU.
Amanda Riley (Tracy, CA/John C. Kimball) started the FDU game and pitched 5.1 innings on the day, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out nine.
Against Harvard, the two teams exchanged four-run frames consecutively. The Crimson struck first with four in the bottom of the second. A walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before an error on the infield plated the first two Harvard runs. Zoe Galindo then singled home two more to make it 4-0 Crimson.
Monmouth responded in the top of the third with four runs of its own. Baron and Howerth each singled to put runners on the corners. Shotzbarger, Reyes, Umiamaka and Freese followed with four-consecutive RBI singles to tie the game at 4-4.
But Harvard took the lead in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI single from Rhianna Rich. The 5-4 score would hold up as the Crimson came away with the victory.
Against FDU, the Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on Baron's two-out, two-run home run. The Knights got one back on Kellie Natham's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second and tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases to begin the inning before Underhill took over in the circle. FDU tied the game on a wild pitch, before the junior southpaw struck out two and induced a groundout to escape further damage.
Monmouth retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a Reyes sacrifice fly. Hill and Howerth each reached on walks to open the frame, before Howerth went first-to-third when the Knights attempted to complete a 5-3 double play. Shotzbarger beat the throw to first to put runners on the corners, setting the table for the Reyes sac fly to right.
The Hawks then hung six on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Freese doubled to begin the inning, before Riley hit a one-out, RBI single to right. Baron's double put runners on second and third for Hill, who hit a sac fly to center to give Monmouth a 5-2 lead. Following a Howerth walk, Shotzbarger ripped a 3-2 offering to right for a two-run double. Reyes capped the six-run outburst with a two-run home run, giving the Hawks a 9-2 lead.
Shotzbarger added some more insurance in the top of the seventh with a two-out, two run single to center to score pinch runner
Jasmine Higa (Apple Valley, CA/Apple Valley) and Baron. Underhill got three groundouts in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.
The Hawks wrap up play at the LMU Tournament tomorrow, when they resume yesterday's suspended game with the host Lions at 11:30 a.m. (ET)/8:30 a.m. (PT). They'll then take on Harvard at 1 p.m. (ET)/10 a.m. (PT).
