STONEHILL SOFTBALL
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Warrior Field, North Andover, Mass.
GAME #1 FINAL: MERRIMACK 4, STONEHILL 3
123 456 7 R H E
Stonehill (6-14, 5-6 Northeast-10) 000 101 1 - 3 8 2
Merrimack (9-12, 5-4 Northeast-10) 020 010 1 - 4 9 0
BATTERIES
STO: Danielle Mason and Caitlin Flanagan
MER: Lauren Otto and Jen Roberge
WP: Otto (6-6) LP: Mason (1-5)
Home Runs: STO-Lauren Rappoli (1); MER-Shannon Caraviello (1)
GAME #2 FINAL: MERRIMACK 4, STONEHILL 2
123 456 7 R H E
Stonehill (6-15, 5-7 Northeast-10) 000 101 0 - 2 8 1
Merrimack (10-12, 6-4 Northeast-10) 020 101 x - 4 10 3
BATTERIES
STO: Jessica Sachse, Tracey Cidlevich (5) and Lauren Polselli
MER: Clarice Pepper, Kelly Knox (7) and Jackie Rubino
WP: Pepper (2-1) LP: Sachse (3-3) Save: Knox (1)
Home Runs: STO-Caitlin Flanagan (2); MER-Stephanie Simon (1), Jackie Rubino (3)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.-- The Stonehill softball team saw its five-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday afternoon, as the Chieftains dropped a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader to Merrimack by scores of 4-3 in the opener and 4-2 in the nightcap in games played at Warrior Field.
The host Warriors (10-12, 6-4 Northeast-10) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opener and held a 3-1 advantage through the fifth inning of action, but the visiting Chieftains (6-15, 5-7 Northeast-10) plated single runs in the sixth and seventh frames to even matters at 3-3, as freshman Caitlin Flanagan’s (Cornwall, N.Y.) sixth inning single pulled Stonehill to within one before freshman Stephanie Folan’s (Glen Cove, N.Y.) RBI single in the seventh tied the score. Merrimack plated the winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh, as senior Kristen Vadala (Salem, N.H.) walked, advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on a single by sophomore Clarissa Lewis (Peabody, Mass.) to end the game.
Senior Emily Cutler (Acton, Mass.) and sophomore Shannon Caraviello (Pepperell, Mass.) each had two hits in the opening game triumph for Merrimack, as Caraviello cracked her first home run of the season to support junior Lauren Otto (North Andover, Mass.) on the mound, as Otto allowed eight hits and three runs while fanning four to pick up the win for the Warriors. Freshman Lauren Rappoli (Wilmington, Mass.) went 3-for-3 and belted her first collegiate home run in the opening game setback for Stonehill, as freshman Danielle Mason (Salisbury, Mass.) was a tough-luck loser on the mound for the Chieftains, as she struck out two for the contest.
Merrimack again jumped out to a 2-0 second inning lead in the nightcap, as the two teams traded single tallies in the fourth and sixth frames to close out the scoring. Junior Stephanie Simon (Windham, N.H.) and sophomore Tracy Vadala (Salem, N.H.) each had two hits in the second game triumph for the Warriors, as freshman Clarice Pepper (Belgrade, Maine) allowed seven hits and an earned run while striking out five to pick up her second win of the season for the hosts, as freshman Kelly Knox (Framingham, Mass.) pitched the seventh to earn the save for Merrimack.
Flanagan went 4-for-4 and smacked her second home run of the season in the nightcap setback for Stonehill, which also received a pair of hits from freshman Jaime Ippolito (Chelsea, Mass.). Freshman Jessica Sachse (East Williston, N.Y.) allowed eight hits and three runs while striking out two in four innings of work on the mound for the Chieftains in falling to 3-3 on the season.
Stonehill travels to Worcester, Mass. on Saturday afternoon to take on Assumption in a Northeast-10 twinbill that begins at 1:00 p.m., while Merrimack heads to Waltham, Mass. on Thursday afternoon for a Northeast-10 doubleheader with Bentley that begins at 3:30 p.m.