Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 VILLANOVA, PA – Freshman Nicole Wieczorek (Oakdale, NY/Connetquot) went 4-for-5 with her fourth home run of the year, but the Monmouth University softball team was swept Monday afternoon at Villanova. The Wildcats won a pitchers' duel in Game 1, 1-0, before taking advantage of defensive miscues to take a 10-7 Game 2 victory. With the losses, the Hawks fall to 10-11, while the Wildcats are now 11-13.

Wieczorek contributed the Hawks' only two hits in Game 1. Justene Reyes (Carson, CA/Warren) and Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, CA/Saugus) had three hits apiece in Game 2, with Reyes driving in three and scoring a run. Shotzbarger also scored a run and drove in another. Chloe Howerth (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah) went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Emma Hill (Rae, MO/King City [Highland C.C.]) added a hit, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases on the afternoon to move to 14-for-14 in stolen-base attempts this season. Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) singled and hit a sacrifice fly for two RBI's.

Sydney Underhill (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) took the losses in the circle in both games, allowing six runs, but just two earned, on eight hits without walking a batter in 8.1 innings pitched. She struck out five. Amanda Riley (Tracy, CA/John C. Kimball) got the Game 2 start and allowed five earned runs on four hits and three walks in 3.2 innings pitched. She struck out four.

In Game 1, Villanova plated a run with just one hit in the bottom of the first to account for the only scoring of the game. A hit-by-pitch, a mishandled ball at the plate and a sacrifice bunt put Lauren Herschberg on third base. She then scored on a Dana Morris single up the middle.

The Hawks' best scoring opportunity of the game came in the third, when a walk and an error put Shotzbarger on first and Hill on third with two outs. But the Wildcats sniffed out a double-steal attempt and Shotzbarger was tagged out before Hill could score from third.

In Game 2, the Hawks immediately got on the board in the top of the first. Hill hit a leadoff infield single, stole second and scored on Reyes' single down the right-field line with two outs. The Wildcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. A double steal plated the first run, and after a dropped third strike for the would-be second out, a groundout allowed the second run to score.

Monmouth tied the game in the top of the second on Wieczorek's fourth home run of the year before taking a 4-2 lead in the top of the third. Howerth, Shotzbarger and Reyes hit consecutive singles with one out to plate the first run, before Umiamaka brought Shotzbarger home with a sacrifice fly for the fourth run.  

Villanova retook a 5-4 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. A double, a walk and wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs, before the first run scored on a passed ball. A Sierra McConnell double tied the game at 4-4, before Herschberg followed suit with another double to give the Wildcats the one-run lead after four.

Monmouth answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 7-5 lead. Hill led off with a walk and Howerth made it first and second with an infield hit. Shotzbarger singled to center to score Hill, before Reyes doubled to left to score Howerth. Shotzbarger was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on the play. Following a pitching change, Umiamaka singled to center to score Reyes, giving the Hawks the two-run lead.

Villanova again countered with three runs, all unearned, in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Two errors and a double loaded the bases with no one out. Chase Snell singled home the first run of the inning, before Mackenzie Tilles' RBI groundout tied the game. Aleshia Ayers followed suit with another run-scoring groundout to give the Wildcats an 8-7 lead. Villanova added two more error-aided insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth and the Hawks couldn't score in the top of the seventh.

Monmouth returns to action Wednesday, when it travels to Philadelphia to take on Saint Joseph's in a single game at 3:30 p.m.