Skyhawks win one game with its largest lead since last season

COLCHESTER, Vt. (April 30, 2017) – The Stonehill College baseball team dominated in game one against Northeast-10 Conference foe Saint Michael's College, 18-7, while also falling to the Purple Knights, 5-3, in game two Sunday, April 30 on Doc Jacobs Field in Colchester, Vermont.

Game 1: Stonehill 18 - Saint Michael's 7

For the Skyhawks, nine batters combined for 19 hits in the victory, while freshman Daniel Paul (Stamford, Connecticut/Stamford/Canterbury School) earned his third victory of the season and six pitchers gave up 16 hits in total. Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and one RBI, as Alex Hurley (Rumford, Rhode Island/Worcester Academy) batted 1-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI.

Stonehill got out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first with one out as Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) and Chhany Minton (Brookline, Massachusetts/Brookline) scored off of Steve Lee's (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) single and a throwing error by the Purple Knights. Bowler later scored, as Hurley hit a hard grounder to third base, putting the Skyhawks up 3-0.

Saint Michael's tied up the game in the bottom of the second as four hits drove in three runs including a double from Connor Hopkins scoring Kyle Cone and PJ Jasak with two outs. Joe Robertson also tallied a RBI with a single through the left side advancing Hopkins across the plate.

Both teams were scoreless in the third inning, as both teams tallied one hit apiece and left a runner on base. Saint Michael's took a one-run lead, 5-3, in the bottom of the fourth, with back-to-back sacrifice fly balls.

Stonehill jumped back in front in the top of the fifth, 6-5, with two runs on two hits as Lee hit a sacrifice fly and Justin Nicklas (Foxboro, Massachusetts/St. Sebastian's) doubled to left center. The Skyhawks kept the lead throughout the remaining innings with the Purple Knights only being able to register two runs in the bottom of the seventh after Stonehill took a two-run lead, 9-7.

Stonehill shutout Saint Michael's in the eighth and ninth innings, as the Skyhawks rallied scoring nine runs off of five hits in the top of the eighth. The nine-run lead, 18-7, was the largest lead for the Skyhawks in the season and biggest advantage since a 19-4 victory against Post University in 2016. 

In the loss, the Skyhawks' Bowler went 2-for-5 with two RBI, as Harrison Sabo (Wilton, Connecticut/Wilton) and Patrick Downey (Cheshire, Connecticut/Xavier) tallied one hit apiece for a total of four hits from Stonehill.

Saint Michael's took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with Steven Auger singling through the right side to score Sean Winthrop and Calvin Holland was out on the play trying to reach home for the second run, but instead was tagged out for the third out of the inning.

Stonehill matched Saint Michael's run with a tally in the top of the fifth with one out, as John Orzechowski (Monroe, Connecticut/Masuk), Alexander Joyce (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North) and Downey all advanced on a wild pitch, bringing Downey home, 1-1.

The Purple Knights didn't leave much time for a tied ball game, as they scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame with one out. Dan Flynn scored on a wild pitch and Joe Robertson doubled to left center bringing in Auger from third, 3-1.

Saint Michael's lead off the bottom of the seventh a with a walk from Flynn and he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Auger tallied his third hit of the game, moving Flynn over to third and he scored immediately after on a wild pitch. Hopkins grounded out to second for the second out of the inning, but recorded the RBI as Auger scored from second for a four-run lead, 5-1.

Stonehill's offense popped up late in the game, as Bowler doubled to left center on two outs, driving in Monte and Orzechowski, cutting the deficit to two, 5-3, as Saint Michael's took the series, 2-1.

Stonehill (14-26, 8-13 NE10) hosts Saint Anselm College in the final game of the series, as the Skyhawks hold a 2-0 record against the Hawks. The single game will be played Monday, May 1 with a first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m. on Lou Gorman Field.

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