Box Score MERION STATION, PA – Trailing 3-2 and down to its final strike in the bottom of the seventh, the Monmouth University softball team scored four runs to earn a 6-3 road victory at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday.
Ashalynn Umiamaka's (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) infield single tied the game before
Jill Freese (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) followed with the game-winning two-run single as Monmouth improved to 11-11 on the season. Saint Joseph's falls to 11-11-1 with the loss.
Umiamaka led the way for the Hawks' offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Nicole Wieczorek (Oakdale, NY/Connetquot) added two hits and two RBI's.
Emma Hill (Rae, MO/King City [Highland C.C.]) also had two hits, a stolen base and a run scored, while
Rachel Shotzbarger added an RBI single.
Amanda Riley (Tracy, CA/John C. Kimball) pitched 2.1 innings of relief, allowing only a hit-by-pitch while striking out five to earn the victory.
Sydney Underhill (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) started in the circle, allowing three earned runs on four hits without walking a batter in 4.2 innings. She struck out three.
The Hawks took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and fourth innings. Hill led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on Shotzbarger's single to left to make it 1-0. Three innings later,
Justene Reyes (Carson, CA/Warren) reached on an error and Wieczorek made Saint Joseph's pay for the miscue with a two-out RBI double to right to stake Monmouth to a 2-0 lead.
But Saint Joseph's would scratch across three runs on their only four hits of the game and an error in the fifth. Hannah Dionne doubled with one out and came around to score on an error following Taryn Grober's single. Grober advanced to second on the play, took third on Cyndi Wilson's infield single and scored on a wild pitch. Underhill secured the second out, before Saint Joseph's took the 3-2 lead on Amanda Kulp's double to left center.
Monmouth's first two batters reached safely in the top of the seventh, as
Katie Baron (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) walked and Hill laid down a bunt single. A strikeout and a fielder's choice later, Monmouth was down to its final out with runners on the corners. Reyes drew a walk to load the bases, before Umiamaka singled to shortstop to tie the game at 3-3. Freese immediately followed with the game-winning two-run single to right center, scoring
Brooke Redmond (Cooksville, MD/Glenelg) and Reyes. Wieczorek added an additional insurance run with an RBI single to left, plating Umiamaka. Riley worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to slam the door on the 6-3 victory.
The Hawks open conference play Saturday, when they play host to hOURglass rival Rider. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. at MU Softball Park.
