WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Gigi Ganje of the University of Pennsylvania softball team broke the home run record as the Quakers fall to the Monmouth Hawks, 7-6.
 
Quaker Notemeal
* Ganje's record-breaking longball was her 14th of the year. She breaks the previous record of 13, held since 2014 by Leah Allen.
 
* Alexis Youngren and Jaz Johnson picked up right where they left off at the plate, going a combined 4-for-6 with two RBI.
 
* Ainsley Pemberton had a nice outing, going three innings strong with just one earned run and three strikeouts.
 
How It Happened
The home run record was certainly a talking point leading up to this game. With 15 games left this year, it was always a matter of "when" and not "if". The "when" would be answered on the third pitch of the game, when sophomore Ganje sent a lofting line drive to straight-away center field for the record-breaking bomb to put Penn up 1-0.
 
Lexi Youngren and Delaney Smith kept the good times rolling with a triple and double, respectively, to give the Red and Blue an early two-score lead. Smith would also drive in a run with a fielder's choice with the bases loaded in the third inning.
 
In the fourth inning, the Hawks got on the board with a home run from Carah Sumpter. Penn would get that run right back from the player of the hour when Gigi Ganje once again homered to already beginning extending that record.
 
The Hawks continued to mount offensive pressure, grabbing two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as an error scored Sammy Miller and Mackenzie Bloss brought a run home with a sacrifice bunt.
 
Penn then took their turn responding in this back-and-forth affair, scoring runs on a Jaz Johnson single and a Lexi Youngren single.
 
The Hawks came to the bottom of the sixth inning prepared to answer once more and did just that with a game tying three-run home run from Mackenzie Bloss.
 
While would leave the top of the seventh empty handed, Monmouth would not in their half inning. With bases loaded and two outs, a slow roller to the shortstop would give Sammy Miller just enough time to leg out a single, scoring the game winning run and dashing the Quakers' hopes.
 
Up Next
Penn will turn their attention to Princeton, as a massive three-game set lies ahead this weekend.