Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth University softball team erased a 9-1 deficit in Game 1 and a 2-0 Siena lead in Game 2 to sweep the Saints, 10-9 (8 inn.) and 8-2, Sunday afternoon at MU Softball Park. Nicole Wieczorek's (Oakdale, NY/Connetquot) RBI double in the bottom of the eighth in Game 1 gave Monmouth (24-15, 11-3 MAAC) the walk-off win, before Justene Reyes (Carson, CA/Warren) hit a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth in Game 2 to give the Hawks the lead for good. Siena, which entered the doubleheader a game behind the Hawks in the loss column in the MAAC standings, slips to 21-16 (6-6 MAAC).

"This is huge. This really puts us in a great spot in terms of working our way into the tournament," said Monmouth Head Coach Shannon Salsburg. "I think we needed today to rebound from Marist. We're a team that just doesn't quit."

Emma Hill (Rae, MO/King City [Highland C.C.]) had a team-high five hits and four runs scored, while driving in two and stealing two bases. Wieczorek, Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) and Reyes had three hits apiece, with Reyes homering and driving in a team-high five runs. Wieczorek had two RBI's and a run scored, while Umiamaka doubled twice and scored two runs.

Katie Baron (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) reached base safely in four of six plate appearances on a pair of singles and two hit-by-pitches, while also scoring a run and driving in two. Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, CA/Saugus) contributed two hits, two runs scored and two RBI's, while Jill Freese (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) chipped in with her team-leading 10th home run of the year, a two-run shot, to go along with four runs scored.

Sydney Underhill (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) and Amanda Riley (Tracy, CA/John C. Kimball) each earned a win in the circle. Underhill started and finished Game 1 with a relief appearance from Riley in between. All told, she limited Siena to three runs, two earned, on 12 hits and two walks, while striking out two. Two inherited runners scored unearned runs when she reentered in the top of the fourth, but the junior southpaw held Siena off the scoreboard for the final four-plus innings to earn the victory. Riley bounced back from a rocky Game 1 relief appearance to go the distance in Game 2. After allowing two first-inning runs, the sophomore settled down to limit Siena to just one hit and two walks over the final six innings. She finished with a line of 7.0 innings pitched, two earned runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out nine.

In Game 1, Siena built a 9-1 lead with three runs in the first and six more in the fourth. Chelsey Drew's two-run double got the Saints on the board in the first, before Madysen Cossack singled her home to put Siena on top, 3-0. The Hawks got a run back in the bottom of the third as Hill walked, stole second and scored on Howerth's single to the right side.

The Saints posted six runs in the top of the fourth on four hits, three walks and an error. Having already scored twice in the frame, Brooke Taylor's two-run single made it a 7-1 Siena lead, before the advantage grew to 9-1 on Loryn DeFalco's two-run double.

The Hawks gradually whittled away at the Saints' lead with a run in the fourth, four more in the fifth and a three spot in the sixth. Hill delivered a two-out RBI single in the fourth, before the first four batters reached safely in the fifth, including two-run home runs from Reyes and Freese to cut the deficit to 9-6. A walk and consecutive errors loaded the bases, before Wieczorek's groundout plated a run to make it 9-7. Baron then delivered a two-out, two-run single to right center to tie the game at 9-9.

Following a scoreless seventh and a zero in the run column for Siena in the top of the eighth, Reyes began the bottom of the eighth with a single to center. A pair of fielder's choices accounted for the first two outs, before Wieczorek doubled down the right field line to score Freese all the way from first base for the walk-off win.

Game 2 began ominously with Drew hitting a two-run double to stake Siena to a 2-0 lead after one half inning. Monmouth immediately cut the deficit in half as Hill and Howerth hit consecutive singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Hill then scored on an RBI groundout from Reyes.

The Siena lead remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth, when Monmouth posted three runs. Brooke Redmond (Cooksville, MD/Glenelg) led off with a single, before Hill singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Hill stole second, but the runners couldn't advance on Howerth's groundout. A Shotzbarger walk loaded the bases for Reyes, who slashed a single to right to score two, giving Monmouth the lead for good. Another run would score on an errant throw from the catcher on a stolen base attempt to make it 4-2 Monmouth after five.

Monmouth would tack on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 8-2. A Freese walk, Wieczorek single and Baron hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out. Hill's infield single plated the first run, before another came home on an error. Shotzbarger punctuated the scoring with a two-run single to left. Riley worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh with two strikeouts to close out the victory.

"I'm really proud of how Amanda came back and pitched. She did an awesome job," said Salsburg. "She didn't have her best stuff, and that game, she found a way to get outs."

Following five days off for final exams, the Hawks return to action Saturday, when they begin the MAAC's Western New York road trip at Canisius. First pitch from the Demske Sports Complex is slated for noon.