Monmouth Edges Siena 5-4 in the First Round of the Softball Championship
MAAC Sports
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Fifth-seed Monmouth University held on to a 5-4 victory over fourth-seed Siena College in the first round of the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship at Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York on the campus of Canisius College.
With two outs in the top of the first inning, Monmouth’s Justene Reyes (two-run home run) and Rachel Shotzbarger (solo home run) hit back-to-back home runs, giving the Hawks an early 3-0 lead. The score would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the third inning, when Siena’s Sammy Smaldone hit a solo home run over the left field fence, putting the Saints on the board.
In the top of the fifth, Monmouth’s Emma Hill would score on a double steal and an error, extending the Hawks lead to 4-1. Ashalynn Umiamaka scored on an RBI ground out, would make the score 5-1 heading into the bottom half of the fifth inning. Siena would respond in the bottom of the inning, scoring with an RBI fielder's choice by Paige Lloyd, cutting the Monmouth lead to 5-2. Then a two-run single by Abby Carpenter would cut the deficit to 5-4 for Siena.
In the top of the seventh inning with one out and runners on second and third base, Monmouth’s Chloe Howerth hit a line drive into centerfield and Siena made the 8-6 double play to end the inning and go into the bottom of the seventh down one.
Monmouth would record a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the 5-4 victory.
Monmouth’s Sydney Underhill (6-13) was the winning pitcher, striking out two batters on the evening. Siena’s Amanda Gatt (9-11) received the loss in one inning of action after giving up four hits and three runs.
Monmouth will play the top-seed Canisius College, Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. Siena will play at 2:00 p.m. with an opponent still to be determined.