Junior Cassandra Squeri connected on a pinch-hit, two-run homerun in the bottom of the seventh to force a tie in game two. |
Skyhawks come back from three down in bottom of the seventh to end game in tie
EASTON, Mass. (March 16, 2016) – The Stonehill College softball team opened Northeast-10 Conference play this afternoon with a doubleheader against Assumption College at Father William Gartland C.S.C. Field in Easton, Massachusetts, dropping the first game 11-4 before rallying to earn a 4-4 tie in game two.
Led by sophomore first baseman Stephanie Menard (Cranston, Rhode Island/Cranston HS West), Assumption racked up 12 hits and 11 runs while holding the Skyhawks to four runs in the opener.
Menard finished a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run, while junior Ashley Abad (Bedford, New Hampshire/Bedford) went 2-for-3 with three runs and a RBI. Sophomore Kendal Roy (Grafton, Massachusetts/Grafton) got the start in the circle and went six innings, striking out three while walking none.
Junior Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, New York/St. Anthony's) led the Skyhawks at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a run. Senior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) and classmate Emily Padilla (Wappingers Falls, New York/Roy C. Ketcham) each contributed two hit and a RBI, while junior Taylor Lester (East Northport, New York/St. Anthony's) chipped in with two and a run. Senior Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) took the ball for Stonehill to open the game, but lasted only 2.1 innings as she walked three and gave up four runs. Junior Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) came on in relief and pitched the remainder of the ballgame.
Assumption opened the scoring in the second inning, using a RBI single by senior Christina Caira (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North) to take an early 1-0 advantage. Stonehill responded in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game when Padilla singled to score senior Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan).
Assumptions bats remained hot in the third, scoring three runs to push the lead to 4-1. The Greyhounds added two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to open a 7-1 lead over the Skyhawks. Stonehill was poised to have a big inning in the fifth, using three singles to load the bases with no outs, but could only muster two runs behind a RBI single by Staudle and a Sumski sacrifice fly. Assumption pushed the final runs across the plate in the seventh to take game one, 11-4.
Stonehill 4, Assumption 4
Junior Lianna Jordan hit a homerun to dead centerfield in game two to keep the Skyhawks within striking distance. |
Down 4-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning and darkness fast approaching, Stonehill rallied for three runs behind a one out, two RBI, pinch-hit homerun by Squeri to force extra innings, where the game was called due to darkness.
Senior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) pitched a complete game for Stonehill, giving up four runs (one earned) on six strikeouts and five hits. Junior Jacklyn Oleksak (Massapequa, New York/Plainedge) went 2-for-3 with a double, a RBI and a run, while classmate Lianna Jordan (Staten Island, New York/St. Joseph By the Sea) hit a big homerun for the Skyhawks.
Assumption started where they left off, scoring two quick runs in the first inning on a two RBI double by Menard. Ropiak settled down after the first, putting down the Greyhounds in order in the next two innings and not allowing another run until the seventh.
Down 2-0 in the fourth inning, Jordan hit a huge two out homerun to dead centerfield to cut the lead in half. Assumption answered in a big way in the top of the seventh, when Abad connected on a two-run homerun to give the Greyhounds some breathing room.
With the score 4-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, Stonehill rallied. Staudle singled to lead off the inning and Oleksak doubled to score her from second base. With one out in the inning and the score 4-2 with Oleksak in scoring position, Coach LeGrice brought in Squeri to pinch hit for Padilla. The move paid off in a major way, as Squeri roped a homerun over the left field wall to tie the game up at four.
After Stonehill was unable to score again in the bottom of the seventh, the game went to extra innings where the umpires called the game due to darkness, with the game resulting in a tie.
The Skyhawks (4-9-1, 0-1-1 NE-10) return to action Friday afternoon at 3:00 when they travel to the The College of Saint Rose for a Northeast-10 Conference double-header. Next up for the Greyhounds (4-9-1, 1-0-1 NE-10 NE) is a matchup with Adelphi University Saturday afternoon in Garden City, N.Y.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.