LOCATION: ROC Park - Madeira Beach, Florida
 
SHORT STORY: Senior Deanna Grahek and freshman Katie Parisi each hit a home run as the Great Danes opened a weekend of competition in Florida, Friday.
 
GAME ONE
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 1-4, 0-0 America East | Monmouth 3-7, 0-0 CAA
 
SCORE: Monmouth 5, UAlbany 4 (9 innings)
 
KEY STATS

• Sophomore Kaitlyn Parisi led the team with three hits.
• Junior Mary Kate Murray added two hits, each with an RBI.
• Katie Parisi and senior Sara Anderson each hit a double while Deanna Grahek rounded the bases with a home run.
• Sophomore Hayley Wieczerzak pitched a complete nine-inning game with 11 strikeouts.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Great Danes started hot with back-to-back hits from Katie Parisi (double) and Mary Kate Murray (RBI single) for a 1-0 lead in the first.
• Hayley Wieczerzak quickly struck out two while one was caught stealing and the Great Dane defense tallied three outs with three batters.
• After two scoreless innings, UAlbany's Deanna Grahek hit a home run over the left-field fence for a two-run lead in the fourth.
• Monmouth's first hit of the contest turned out to be a two-run homer to tie the game with two innings remaining.
• Despite a double on each side, neither team was able to score in the sixth or the seventh and the game went into extra innings.
• Using the international tie breaker, a runner was placed on second base in both the eighth and the ninth. 
• Tied at three, the UAlbany defense had the bases loaded when senior Kasey Conn executed a throw to first for the final out of the inning.
• Kaitlyn Parisi hit an RBI single for the fourth UAlbany run but a second two-run homer from the Hawks closed the game, 5-4, in the bottom of the ninth.

 
GAME TWO
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 1-5, 0-0 America East | UIC 7-9-1, 0-0 MVC
 
SCORE: UIC 9, UAlbany 1 (6 innings)
 
KEY STATS

• Katie Parisi hit her first collegiate home run for UAlbany's only run.
• Three additional Great Danes tallied a hit - freshman Sierra Roy, Deanna Grahek, and Sara Anderson.
• Sophomore Hailey Errichiello and freshman Becca Munslow shared time in the circle for a combined three strikeouts and zero walks.
• Not one Great Danes struck out at the plate.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Flames quickly earned a two-run advantage with the first three batters of the game.
• UAlbany's first hit came from Deanna Grahek in the bottom of the second. Sara Anderson followed with a second consecutive single but both were left on base.
• UIC extended its lead with two runs in the third and two runs in the fourth for a 6-0 advantage.
• Katie Parisi's first collegiate home run came in the bottom of the fourth over the left-center fence.
• With two additional runs, one in each inning, the Flames won, 9-1, in six complete innings.

 
NEXT: The Great Danes will return to ROC Park for two games on Saturday (Feb. 28).
 
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