Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The fourth-seeded Monmouth University softball team defeated third-seeded Canisius, 6-3, before having their next game against No. 6 Quinnipiac halted by steady rain in the top of the first Friday afternoon at Marist's Gartland Field. With the win, the Hawks improve to 28-20, while the Griffs end their season at 23-32. The resumption of the game against Quinnipiac is slated for 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The winner will face top-seeded Marist at noon tomorrow, needing to win two games to take the league tournament title.
Amanda Riley (Tracy, CA/John C. Kimball) went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, while also pitching 2.2 innings of one-hit relief to secure her program-record fifth save. Her home run gave Monmouth 38 for the season, a new program record. Riley's two strikeouts tied and broke the team program record originally set in 2000, giving Monmouth's pitching staff 242 K's for the season.
Sydney Underhill (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) earned her team-leading 17th win of the year, allowing three earned runs on two hits and four walks in 4.1 innings pitched. She struck out four.
Chloe Howerth (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah) and
Rachel Shotzbarger (Saugus, CA/Saugus) each had a hit and two runs scored. Shotzbarger also doubled and drove in a run. The double gave the junior shortstop 41 career doubles, tying her with Jessica Nicola '10 for the most in program history.
Emma Hill (Rae, MO/King City [Highland C.C.]) added a hit and a run scored, while
Justene Reyes (Carson, CA/Warren) singled and drove in a run.
Ashalynn Umiamaka (Kapolei, HI/Kapolei [Eastern Arizona]) contributed an RBI double, while
Jill Freese (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) and
Nicole Wieczorek (Oakdale, NY/Connetquot) each added an RBI on sacrifice flies.
The Hawks immediately put three runs on the board in the top of the first, as Hill and Howerth each singled, moved up on a wild pitch and Hill scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Shotzbarger. Reyes' ground ball was booted, driving in Howerth, before Umiamaka hit a two-out RBI double to score Shotzbarger, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead after a half inning.
The Hawks scratched across two more runs in the top of the third. Howerth coaxed a walk, before Shotzbarger doubled to center to put runners on second and third. Reyes was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before Freese and Wieczorek hit consecutive sacrifice flies to push the Monmouth lead to 5-0.
Canisius got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, as Moriah Harris led off with a solo home run to right center. Following a walk with two outs, Denver Keller lined an RBI double to the gap in right center and scored following consecutive wild pitches to cut the MU lead to 5-3 after four.
With two out in the top of the sixth, Riley gave herself an extra run of insurance with a solo shot to straightaway center, pushing Monmouth's lead to 6-3. Canisius brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Riley ended the game with the record-breaking strikeout.
With steady rain falling, the decision was made to begin the game against Quinnipiac. Riley fired four-straight wet pitches out of the zone to begin the game, before the Bobcats sacrificed the runner to second. Following a wild pitch in which the wet ball again caused Riley issue and sent the Quinnipiac base runner to third, the home plate umpire called for the tarp. After a rain delay of approximately 90 minutes, the decision was made to resume the game Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
