Game One
Monmouth Hawks (1-1) – 2
North Carolina Tar Heels (5-3) – 0
 
Game Two
Monmouth Hawks (1-2) – 0
Butler Bulldogs (7-3) – 5
 
LEESBURG, FL – The Monmouth University softball team split their two games on Saturday at The Spring Games, downing North Carolina for the first time ever, 2-0, before falling to Butler 5-0.
 
Freshman pitcher Billie Kerwood tossed a complete game shutout against the Tar Heels, allowing just three hits while striking out four in her Hawks debut. Monmouth plated one run in the opening frame on a two-out RBI single by Julia Thuer, while Lindsey Baron came around to score on a throwing error in the top of the seventh.
 
In the back-half of the doubleheader, the Hawks and Bulldogs traded zeroes through the top of the fifth before Butler broke through in the bottom half of the inning with two runs. They'd go on to plate three more in the bottom of the sixth before setting Monmouth down in order in the seventh.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
"Today was a solid day of softball. Billie [Kerwood] pitched very well for us against a good ACC team. Getting on the board early was very important and our defense supported Billie and helped keep their hitters at bay. Lindsey [Baron] picking up a double in the top of the seventh and then coming around to score an insurance run on a throwing error was huge.
 
Butler was a tight battle going into the bottom of the fifth; Emily [Spencer] had the chance to make her first start and was throwing the ball well. Overall, we're pleased with the performances we saw today, and we're excited to get back at it tomorrow with two more games."  –Head Coach Shannon Salsburg
 
-In game one, the Hawks rallied with two outs to put across the first run
-Following a single by Devin Coia and an error that allowed Danielle Dominik to reach base, Thuer laced a single to centerfield the bring home pinch-runner Bri Hoskins
-Today was just the second time Monmouth and North Carolina have faced off
-The first meeting between the two teams was March 16, 1996 in Greenville, NC
-It's the first time the Tar Heels have been shutout by a non-ACC school since February 27, 2021
-It was the first complete game shutout by a freshman pitcher for the Hawks since Kylie Gletow went the distance at the Coastal Carolina Invitational against USC Upstate on February 29, 2020
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Baron is hitting .444 through the first three games of the season with one double
-Abby Warner threw out her second runner in as many days against UNC
-Five different players notched a hit for the Hawks against the Tar Heels
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks have two final matchups at The Spring Games tomorrow. They'll face Stetson at 11:30 AM before squaring off against Florida Atlantic at 2:00 PM. Both games can be viewed on FloSoftball.