Softball picks up its first win with an extra inning battle
MELBOURNE, Fla. (February 19, 2017) - The Stonehill College softball team fell to No. 16 Saint Leo University, 7-3, early in the day, as it fought hard against East Stroudsburg ifor its first victory of the season n its second meeting to come back from behind, 8-7 in eight innings, Sunday morning in Melbourne, Florida.
No. 16 Saint Leo University 7 – Stonehill 3
Stonehill's Taylor Lester (East Northport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) went 1-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI and a double, while Lianna Jordan (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph By the Sea) recorded the other RBi off a sacrifice fly.
Saint Leo jumped on board in the top of the first, as the Saints drew two leadoff walks and both were quickly advanced on a fielder's choice and a throwing error, scoring two runs. Stonehill's Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's) responded in the bottom of the first with a single to the left side, but was short lived as she was left on base. Neither team was successful in the second inning, as the Saints held a close 2-0 lead.
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The Saints extended its lead by one after Sommer Pollard reached first and Kelly singled up the middle, scoring Pollard from second in the top of the third, 3-0. Saint Leo had its biggest inning thus far, as four hits and three runs put Stonehill in a bind in the top of the sixth, 6-0.
With not much time left, the Skyhawks were able to get some offense going as Sophie Perez (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham Regional) sent a single to center field and then Carbone followed with a single to right field. Lester launched a double to left field scoring both runners, cutting the lead to four, 6-2. After advancing on a wild pitch, Jordan sent a deep fly ball out to left field scoring Lester for a three-run deficit, 6-3.
Saint Leo continued pressing, as it scored one more run in the top of the seventh and held the Skyhawks to no runs in the bottom of the frame to win its 11th game of the season.
Stonehill 8 – East Stroudsburg 7 (5 innings)
The Skyhawks' Lester went a perfect 3-for-3 scoring one run, two RBI and drawing one walk. Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) and Carbone completed the game on the mound giving up four earned runs and striking out two. Carbone picked up her first victory of the season.
The Warriors' defense held the Skyhawks to a one-two-three inning, and turned the page in the bottom of the first to score two runs off of two hits from Madison Vicendese and Danielle Wissinger, putting East Stroudsburg up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Both teams were scoreless in the second inning, but the Skyhawks closed the gap in the third with a sacrifice fly from Lester scoring Elizabeth Cronin (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) with only one out, 2-1.
Neither team connected until the Warriors strung together three runs off of two hits and one error in the bottom of the fifth to extend its early lead to four, 5-1.
Stonehill responded quickly scoring two of its own as Squeri sent a single up the middle, followed by Erin Brayden (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) walking and advanced on Carly Rennie's (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) single to right center. With the bases loaded, Taylor Whaley (South Portland, Maine/Catherine McAuley) reached on a Warrior's error, scoring Squeri, 5-2. Cronin came up to the plate and grounded out to the pitcher, but Brayden was able to slide into home before any action was taken, 5-3.
Stonehill held East Stroudsburg in the bottom of the sixth and took its first lead of the game off of three hits and three runs scored. Lester once again started off the inning with a single to right field and advancing on Jordan's walk. Squeri launched a single, where all runners were advancing and caught the Warriors by surprise as Lester scored, 5-4. Brayden then reached on an error by the pitcher causing Jordan to score from third and tying the game up, 5-5. Julia Hartman (Salisbury, Mass./Triton Regional) also sent a single out to the grass and before she was tagged out trying to extend it into a double, Squeri scored from third for a one-run lead, 6-5.
The Warriors were not done as Rachel Grabowski reached on an error and Heather Visco scored from third to tie the game up for an extra inning battle, 6-6.
Stonehill capitalized on a single up the middle from Carbone, as Olivia Peterson (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) had previously moved Cronin from second to third on a sacrifice bunt and giving the Skyhawks a one-run lead again, 7-6. With only one out, Lester connected for another single and Carbone advanced to second giving the Skyhawks runners on first and second. Jordan hit a single out to the grass and Carbone was waved home from second to give Stonehill an insurance run, 8-6.
In the bottom of the eighth, East Stroudsburg was only able to secure one run off a runner on second situation, as Kaylee Hazewski singled sending Samantha Pickar home, 8-7.
Softball (1-4) is off until it heads to Leesburg, Florida for a 10-game series from March 5-9, starting with Northern State University in a doubleheader.
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