DeLand, Fla. -- For the better part of 14 innings Tuesday, Stetson struggled to produce much offense against Monmouth pitching.
However, when the Hatters had their backs against the wall, the bats finally came through.
Ashly Smith capped off a furious four-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning with a walk-off walk as Stetson defeated Monmouth 5-4 in game two of a doubleheader Tuesday night at Patricia Wilson Field.
The Hawks took the opener 4-2.
Smith helped send game two to extra innings with a clutch two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning that scored Jessie TenBroeck with the tying run. The Hatters were trailing 1-0 at the time and down to their final out.
With the international tie-break rule in effect, Monmouth scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
The Hatters responded with a game-winning rally in their half of the frame. Kayla Drury started the inning on second base and scored easily on Molly Shasteen's lead-off double. Walks to Kelsey Waters and Jessica Griffin loaded the bases. Brittany Hawn then delivered a single to center field that scored Shasteen, but Waters was cut down at home as the potential tying run.
The inning continued, however, as Talli Sharp singled to right field to score Griffin, and TenBroeck singled to left field to re-load the bases.
After a fielder's choice gave the Hawks their second out of the inning, Smith drew a four-pitch walk to force home the winning run.
"It was great to come back, down 4-1 in the eighth inning," Stetson head coach Frank Griffin said. "We had some key hits, and their pitcher was having a hard time throwing strikes."
The rally made a winner out of Tori Perkins (6-1), who allowed just one earned run over eight innings of work. She walked one and struck out three in the complete game effort.
In game one, Stetson fell behind 4-0 early and never got closer than 4-2. Curstin Taylor pitched five scoreless innings of relief.
The doubleheader was Stetson's final non-conference tune-up prior to the start of Atlantic Sun play this weekend. The Hatters will visit UNF for a three-game series beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Notes: Stetson went 15-7 on its 22-game homestand ... The Hatters improved to 4-2 in extra innings and 10-3 in one-run games ... The Hatters have split 11 times this season but have never been swept in a single day.
