Game One
Akron (1-4) – 2
Monmouth (4-7) – 3

Game Two
Monmouth (4-8) – 1
USC Upstate (6-4) – 8
 
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Sophomore third baseman Savannah Simons hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh to lead the Monmouth University Softball Team to a 3-2 victory over the Akron Zips to kick off the Wings Etc. Tournament hosted by USC Upstate on Friday morning.
 
Entering the sixth down a run, sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Bloss hit her first career home run over the wall in right center. Bloss singled home Dani Dabroski (1-for-3) in the first to open the game's scoring, but the Zips responded with a solo shot and RBI single in a two-run third.

Ana Rodriguez led off the seventh with a pinch-hit walk, and Kaitlynn Place re-entered on the base paths. After two Hawks were retired on pop ups, Simons (1-for-3, RBI, BB) stepped in and delivered a line drive that split the right-center gap, scoring Place from first to win the ballgame.

Billie Kerwood threw a complete game with five strikeouts and was credited with her second win of 2024.

The Hawks dropped game two to host USC Upstate by a score of 8-1. Tessa Thompson led the MU offense with a 3-for-3 afternoon at the plate and drove in the lone run for the Hawks on an RBI single in the sixth. The Spartans scored in all but one inning to collect their sixth win of the season.

NOTES & NUMBERS
- Bloss hit her first career home run in the win over Akron.
- Simons leads the team with 17 hits and a .447 batting average.
- Three Hawks (Bloss, Simons, Abby Warner) are tied for the team lead with eight RBI.
- Dabroski leads the team with nine runs this season.
- This was the first time the Hawks and Zips met.
- The all-time series between Monmouth and USC Upstate is tied at two.
- Monmouth left 12 runners on base on the day, while their opponents left eight combined.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks play No. 16 Kentucky and USC Upstate at day two of the Wings Etc. Tournament on Saturday. First pitch versus the Wildcats is set for 10:00 a.m.