Mayette earns her first victory of the season

Theilgard launched a homerun in each of the games for her first-collegiate homeruns

CLERMONT, FLORIDA. (March 10, 2018) – The Stonehill College softball team recorded its first win of the season against Molloy College, 3-1, before splitting the last double header of their spring break trip with a 6-5 loss, Sunday morning at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida.

Game 1: Stonehill 3 – Molloy 1

Stonehill's bats came alive right in the bottom of the first inning, after Jennifer Mayette (Scotia, New York/Scotia-Glenville) retired the Lions and allowing only two hits at the top of the frame. Freshman Hannah Ricker (Scarborough, Maine/SCarborough) led off with a single to third base and then with two outs, Caroline Casey (East Moriches, New York/Center Moriches) drove her in with her second double of the season to center field for a 1-0 lead. Up next, Freshman Michelle Theilgard (North Branford, Connecticut/Mercy) launched her first-collegiate homerun over right center to extend the lead to three, 3-0.

Mayette held Molloy to two hits in each of the first, third, sixth, and seventh innings. In the top of the third, with one out, Kaitlyn Snyder doubled to right center and Olivia Banulski mimicked her hit with a double to left center to cut the deficit to two, 3-1. Mayette closed the inning with a fly out and a strike out leaving two Lions on base.

Stonehill was shut out in the third and fourth innings, not being able to produce a hit, but in the bottom of the fifth inning, Olivia Peterson (Westford, Massachusetts/Westford Academy) singled to the shortstop but was left on base after the Skyhawks fouled out and Peterson was caught stealing.

The Lions came close to scoring in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Mayette ended the sixth with a ground out with runners on second and third and the seventh inning with another ground out and runners on first and second.

Game 2: Stonehill 5 – Molloy 6

Stonehill's bats were still able to produce, but the Lions' nine this were the game deciders over the Skyhawk's seven hits.

This time, Molloy was able to start the game off with a lead, as four hits drove in four runs. Molloy produced four singles, including one from Courtney Greene that drove in two runs as she advanced to second on the throw, 4-0.

Casey went 1-for-6 in the double header with two RBI, two runs scored and a double

Stonehill got their first hit in the top of the second inning with two outs, as Sophie Perez (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) singled to center field, but was left on base. In the top of the third, the Lions switched pitchers and the Skyhawks saw a lead-off walk from Julia Hartman (Salisbury, Massachusetts/Triton Regional). With one out, Peterson singled to the shortstop, advancing Hartman to second and Carly Rennie (Chelmsford, Massachsuetts/Chelmsford) got the bases loaded with her own single to third base. Casey then reached on a fielding error, to cut the lead to three, 4-1. Theilgard kept her bat warm from the previous game and roped a triple to right field, clearing the bases to tie the game at four, 4-4.

After a quiet fifth inning, Molloy connected on four singles to drive in another two runs gaining a two-run advantage, 6-4, in the top of the sixth inning.

The Skyhawks continued battling registering two hits in the final two innings, including a second-collegiate homerun from Theilgard to cut the deficit to one, 6-5. Molloy shut down Stonehill in the top of the seventh splitting the twinbill after the Skyhawks defeated the Lions, who have made the NCAA Tournament back-to-back years.  

Stonehill (1-9) takes some time off before returning to action with its first Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader of the season hosting Assumption College on Wednesday, March 21 for a home opener with first pitch at 3:00 p.m. on Fr. Gartland Field.

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