Senior Lindsay McKillop went 2-for-3 at the plate in her final collegiate game, a 5-0 loss to Saint Anselm. |
Morrell and McKillop lead Skyhawks with matching 2-for-3 efforts in their final game
EASTON, Mass. (April 27, 2014) – With an opportunity to clinch a spot in next week's Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, Stonehill College fell to Saint Anselm College, 5-0, this afternoon in NE-10 Northeast Division softball action at Gartland Field.
Seniors Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) and Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) combined to record four of Stonehill's five hits on senior day, as they both went 2-for-3 at the plate, while sophomore Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) added a hit. Stonehill's third senior, Brianna Gunter (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), reached base with a walk.
Ruonavaara also started the contest in the circle for the Skyhawks and dropped to 6-11 with the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work. She recorded three strikeouts and issued two walks before giving way to freshman Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, N.J./New Providence), who pitched the final 2.2 frames, giving up one run on three hits.
Classmate Jocelynne Morrell posted a matching 2-for-3 effort in Stonehill's senior day loss. |
Gunter |
McKillop |
Morrell |
Saint Anselm was led by senior Monique Gauthier (Canton, Conn./Canton), who went 4-for-4 with a double, three runs, and one RBI. Classmate Nicole Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I./Woonsocket) was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk, and one run, while junior Hannah Byrne (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) and sophomore Pattie Turner (Warwick, R.I./Toll Gate) each went 1-for-4 with one RBI.
Junior Tayla Trask (Lincoln, Maine/Mattanawcook Academy) improved to 15-6 with the win after going the distance for the 21st time in 21 starts this season and allowing no runs on five hits. Trask, who entered today's contest with a miniscule 0.90 earned run average, also recorded five strikeouts as the Hawks clinched the second seed in next week's NE-10 Tournament.
After a scoreless first inning, Saint Anselm scored the game's first run in the top of the second. Gauthier led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield, and then moved up to second as the next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt. Gauthier came around to score one batter later, as Turner reached base on an error.
The Hawks added three more runs on three hits in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Boucher led off with a double, and three batters later Gauthier singled to center field, scoring Boucher from second. Senior Olivia Story (Middleton, Mass./Masconomet) added another run to Saint Anselm's tally with a sacrifice fly, and Turner capped off the big frame with an RBI single.
The Hawks scored one more run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Byrne, and Stonehill failed to score in its final at-bat, despite leading off the frame with consecutive singles.
Stonehill (20-25, 14-15 NE-10) finishes the season at fifth place in the NE-10 Northeast Division, just a game shy of fourth place and a berth in its third consecutive NE-10 Tournament. The Skyhawks' loss today, combined with three Bentley University wins over Saint Michael's College, allowed the Falcons to jump Stonehill in the standings and earn the fourth seed in the NE-10 Tournament. Saint Anselm (26-13, 18-9 NE-10) will open next week's NE-10 Tournament as the second seed in the Northeast Division.
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