Sophomore Alison Sumski led Stonehill to a 3-1 win in game two today as she went 3-for-3 at the plate with her second home run of the season.

Skyhawks hand Penmen first NE-10 Northeast Division loss in game two

EASTON, Mass. (April 12, 2014) – The Stonehill College softball team dropped game one of today's doubleheader, 6-0, to Southern New Hampshire University, before rebounding to hand the Penmen their first Northeast-10 Northeast Division loss of the season in game two with a 3-1 victory this afternoon at Gartland Field.

Stonehill was led offensively by sophomores Alison Sumski (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) and Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) and senior Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven). Sumski was hitless in the opener but went 3-for-3 with a home run in Stonehill's game two victory, while Ruonavaara and Morrell recorded one hit in each contest. Senior Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) hit her second home run of the season in game two, a two-run shot that proved to be the difference in the contest.

Freshman Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's) improved to 6-2 in the circle with her game two victory after going the distance and allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four and walking two.

Southern New Hampshire was led by junior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass./Norwood), and sophomores Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) and Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry). Maloof went 2-for-6 on the day with a walk, one home run, and 2 RBI, while Hannan was 3-for-5 with a walk and a run and Bolduc was 2-for-7 with a home run.

Maloof also earned the victory in game one with an impressive outing, as she lasted all seven innings and gave up just three hits while striking out eight Skyhawks.

Southern New Hampshire took game one of today's doubleheader with a balanced offensive effort and a dominant performance from Maloof. Hannan, Maloof, and sophomore Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass./Newton North) each recorded two hits for the Penmen, while junior Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) went 1-for-3 with one run and two RBI.

Ruonavaara took the loss for Stonehill after going 4.1 innings and allowing six runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout, and she also recorded one of three hits offensively for the Skyhawks.

Southern New Hampshire got its offense going early, as the Penmen scored twice before Ruonavaara was able to record an out. Maloof led off the first inning with a walk, and on the next play Hannan singled to center, advancing to second on the throw as Maloof reached third. Eicher followed with a double to right center, plating the game's first two runs, and two batters later Caruso singled up the middle, scoring Southern New Hampshire's third run of the inning.

The Penmen added another run in the fourth on a solo home run by Bolduc, before scoring twice in the fifth on a two-run homer by Maloof.

Stonehill had its best chance to put a dent in Southern New Hampshire's lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, as sophomore Megan Staudle (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) led off with a double and Ruonavaara followed with a single, but Maloof retired the next three batters in order.

Stonehill 3, Southern New Hampshire 1

Carbone

Led by Carbone's complete game, three-hit effort, Stonehill salvaged a split in today's doubleheader and handed the Penmen their first Northeast Division loss of the season. Sumski led the Skyhawks with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, including her second home run of the season, while Morrell, McKillop, Ruonavaara, and Carbone added one hit apiece.

Senior Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) took the loss for Southern New Hampshire despite posting a solid outing in the circle, as she gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings of work while striking out two and walking two as well.

As the Penmen did in the opener, Stonehill got on the board in the first inning. McKillop blasted a two-out, two-run homer to left field after Sumski led off the inning with a single. Sumski then added to Stonehill's lead with a solo shot in the third, and that would be all the run support Carbone would need.

Southern New Hampshire threatened in the seventh, but the Penmen were only able to push one run across. Bolduc led off with a single before being pinch run for by freshman Skyler Shugrue (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian). Shugrue advanced to second on a groundout and then to third on a wild pitch, before eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by senior Cara Daly (Plainville, Mass./King Philip Regional), but that was the extent of Southern New Hampshire's rally.

Stonehill (14-14, 9-5 NE-10) and Southern New Hampshire (19-8, 8-4 NE-10) will be right back in action tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. with the rubber game of this weekend's three-game series. The Skyhawks will then hit the road tomorrow afternoon to play Saint Michael's College at 4:30 p.m. on the campus of Merrimack College, before heading to Colchester, Vt. to play a doubleheader against the Purple Knights on Monday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.

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