Sophomore Michelle Carbone went 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI in Stonehill's 8-0 win at Saint Anselm today.

Junior Sarah Ropiak posts two-hit shutout, sophomore Michelle Carbone goes 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI

MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 22, 2015) – Junior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) registered a two-hit shutout and sophomore Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, New York/St. Anthony's) went 2-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and four RBI as Stonehill College cruised to an 8-0 victory at Saint Anselm College this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division softball action at the South Athletic Field.

Ropiak struck out four batters and walked two over the complete game effort, improving to 10-6 this season with the win. The Skyhawks have not allowed a run in three consecutive contests following their doubleheader sweep of Assumption College yesterday.

Junior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) also posted a multi-hit effort, as she went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Junior Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, while classmate Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) and sophomore Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) drove in one run each.

Senior Tayla Trask (Lincoln, Maine/Mattanawcook Academy) dropped to 10-4 with the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) on four hits through five innings in the circle.

Junior Sarah Ropiak turned in a two-hit shutout, striking out four batters and walking two.

Senior Kasey Moran (Medford, Massachusetts/Medford) and freshman Megan Murrell (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) each singled for the Hawks, while junior Pattie Turner (Warwick, Rhode Island/Toll Gate) and senior Hannah Byrne (Lynn, Massachusetts/Lynn Classical) drew one walk apiece.

Stonehill jumped out to an early lead this afternoon, scoring two runs in the first on two hits and a pair of errors. Junior Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Connecticut/Coginchaug) reached base on an error to lead off, before eventually coming in to score on another Saint Anselm miscue. Ruonavaara plated the Skyhawks' second run of the inning with an RBI single to center field.

Ropiak retired the first two batters in the bottom of the first, before giving up a single and issuing a walk, but Saint Anselm was unable to capitalize, stranding both runners on base.

Trask and Ropiak took control of the contest over the next three frames, as both pitchers retired the side in order in the second, third, and fourth innings. Still leading 2-0, Stonehill broke the game open with four runs in the fifth. Carbone highlighted the big inning with a two-out, bases-clearing double, and Squeri also drove in a run as the Skyhawks took a 6-0 lead.

Saint Anselm stranded two more runners in the bottom of the fifth, while Stonehill tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh on a home run by Sumski and RBI double by Carbone.

Stonehill (17-12, 10-6 NE-10) returns home tomorrow to host Bentley University in a divisional doubleheader at Gartland Field. Saint Anselm (20-8, 11-6 NE-10) will also be in action tomorrow with a single game at crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire University.

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