JACKSON, NJ – Siena Softball was not stymied by a last-minute schedule cancelation which forced them to adjust its first weekend of play on only a day's notice. Instead of heading to the CSU Kickoff Tournament in South Carolina, the Saints (2-0) began their 2023 campaign with a doubleheader sweep of former MAAC member Monmouth (0-2) at the Adventure Sports Complex in Jackson, New Jersey Friday evening.
The Green and Gold grabbed a 3-1 eight-inning victory in game one before rolling to a 4-1 nightcap win to secure its first 2-0 start to a season since 2005.
Game 1: Siena 3, Monmouth 1 (8)
Both teams began the new year by embarking in a pitcher's duel, with Siena's Ava Fitzmaurice and Monmouth's Billie Kerwood going to work in the circle past regulation. Monmouth capitalized on a Siena fielding error in the second inning to pull out to a 1-0 lead, while the Saints got on the board via an RBI single from freshman Emma Petersen that sent senior Jocelyn Ulrich home.
Working off the strength of eight total strikeouts from Fitzmaurice (1-0) and 11 from Kerwood (0-1) both teams stranded the potential go-ahead run on base in the seventh inning, with Siena going to extra innings in a season opener for the first time since 2017. Siena finally broke through offensively in the top of the eighth with senior Angelina Stile celebrating her return to the plate following a season-ending injury in the 2022 MAAC Tournament with a two RBI double to left center to send in Ulrich and junior Isabella Pardo.
Fitzmaurice allowed just four hits and was not charged for the Monmouth run, while Ulrich, Stile, Petersen, and sophomore Emmalynn Skaff each notched a hit for the Saints.
Game 2: Siena 4, Monmouth 1
Pitching led the Saints to victory once again during the nightcap, with senior Nicole Patille (1-0) striking out eight and allowing just one run on three hits in five and one-third innings. Siena hung a crooked number on the board offensively in the second inning, with Skaff plating senior Emma McLaughlin on an RBI single and sophomore McKenzie Swinson doubling down the left field line to allow Skaff and sophomore Ashley Giampolo to cross home.
Prior to the Hawks avoiding a shutout with an RBI single in the sixth, Fizmaurice singled up the middle to score Pardo in the fifth for a Siena insurance run. The Siena debut of sophomore Alissa Eimont in the circle came in the form of a save over one and two-thirds innings that included one strikeout. Monmouth's Kylie Gletow (0-1) took the complete game loss, while Fizmaurice went a perfect 3-3 from the plate to steady the Saints offensively.
Siena's next scheduled action on the season comes in two weeks, when the Saints will head to Madeira Beach, Florida for The Spring Games February 24-26.
