WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ  - Monmouth softball defeated N.C. A&T softball 6–2 in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at MU Softball Park, securing the series win.

The Hawks struck first when an error allowed Bri Lawson to reach base and advance all the way to third, bringing Dominique Lopez home. Mackenzie Bloss quickly extended the lead to 2–0 with an RBI double that scored Lawson. Carah Sumpter followed with an RBI single to make it 3–0, and Gianna Stern capped off a dominant first inning with another RBI double, giving Monmouth a 4–0 advantage.

The Aggies got on the board in the top of the second inning with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 4–1. However, Sumpter responded in the bottom half with an RBI double of her own, restoring a four-run lead at 5–1.

N.C. A&T added another run in the top of the fourth on a groundout that allowed a runner to score, making it 5–2. Monmouth answered in the bottom of the fifth when Jayla Cadena hit a sacrifice fly to bring in an insurance run, sealing the 6–2 victory. 

NOTES AND NUMBERS 

• Carah Sumpter made her second straight start in the circle, picking up her sixth win of the season. Sumpter finished with a game-high four strikeouts on Sunday` ``
• Ella Stevinson (2 hits) and Carah Sumpter (2 hits) were the lone Hawks to record multiple hits on Sunday
• Ella Stevinson now has a team-high 12 doubles
• The Hawks held a 7-5 edge in hits on Sunday
• Both teams tallied an error apiece
• Monmouth tallied five doubles on Sunday, which all came from five different Hawks
• Monmouth's 20 wins marks its first 20-win season since 2021
• The Hawks also won their 10th CAA game of the season, tying the most CAA wins, which happened in 2024
• The Hawks have now won two straight CAA series while securing their third conference series win of the season

UP NEXT 
Monmouth will conclude the regular season at Hofstra in a three-game series starting Thursday at 5 p.m.