Junior Michelle Carbone finished 3-for-3 with a homerun, double, three runs and two RBI today.

Junior Michelle Carbone paces Skyhawk attack with 3-for-3 effort, a homerun and two RBI

EASTON, Mass. (April 19, 2016) – Junior Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, New York/St. Anthony's) and sophomore Erin Brayden (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) combined to go a perfect 5-for-5 with four RBI and four runs as the Skyhawks slugged their way past Merrimack College in a Northeast-10 Northeast Division game at Gartland Field this afternoon. 

Senior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) pitched a shortened complete game, throwing all five innings as the game was called after the fifth as Stonehill led by eight runs. Ropiak also struck out three while surrendering two runs on six hits.

Carbone led the Skyhawks at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a homerun, double, two RBI and three runs. Senior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) chipped in with a double, three RBI and a run, while junior Jacklyn Oleksak (Massapequa, New York/Plainedge) went 1-for-1 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

Junior Haley Currie (Burlington, Massachusetts/Burlington) took the loss for Merrimack, lasting 1.2 innings after allowing five runs on five hits.

Currie finished 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI double and a walk, while freshman Caitlin McBride (Danvers, Massachusetts/Danvers) went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Samantha Waskowitz (Killingworth, Connecticut/Haddam Killingworth) and classmate Mariah Tenney (Winchendon, Massachusetts/Winchendon) each chipped in with a hit and a run.

Merrimack jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage when Waskowitz singled to right field and Currie drove her in with an RBI double to right center field. The lead was short lived however, as Stonehill roared back with five runs in the bottom of the second on five hits, highlighted by Staudle's bases clearing double to left center field.

Stonehill added three more runs in the third as Carbone led off the inning with a double to leftfield and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) then hit a sacrifice fly to leftfield to score Carbone. After Senior Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher, Oleksak walked and Brayden doubled down the left field line, registering two RBI as both runners scored.

Carbone capped the scoring for Stonehill on the afternoon, connecting on a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth inning to score the Skyhawks ninth and tenth runs of the game.

Down 10-1, Merrimack had one last crack at the plate to keep the game going in the top of the fifth inning. The Warriors started to rally when Tenney singled to the shortstop and freshman Hannah Johnson (Middleboro, Massachusetts/Middleboro) singled, followed by Currie drawing a walk to load the bases with one out. McBride then singled up the middle to score Tenney, making the score 10-2 and reloading the bases. Ropiak worked out of the jam as she coaxed a fly out, and with the runner tagging from third base, junior Taylor Lester (East Northport, New York/St. Anthony's) threw her out at the plate to record the double play and end the game.

Stonehill (20-16, 16-8) returns to action Friday, as they play a single contest against Franklin Pierce University at 4 p.m. The Skyhawks close out their regular season with a doubleheader at Franklin Pierce on Saturday. Merrimack (19-24, 10-12 NE-10) hits the road for its next contest, as the Warriors are scheduled for a doubleheader at Pace University on Wednesday starting at 3:00 p.m.

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