Theilgard hits her third homerun of the season
Rennie went 2-for-3 with one run scored in the first game |
EASTON, Mass. (April 11, 2018) – The Stonehill College softball dropped two games with Merrimack College on Wednesday afternoon at Fr. Gartland Field with scores of 9-4 and 2-0 in Northeast-10 Conference divisional play.
Game 1: Stonehill 4 –Merrimack 9
Stonehill kicked off the game with four runs in the bottom of the first after holding Merrimack to no runs and no hits in the top of the inning. With one out, Caroline Casey (East Moriches, New York/Center Moriches) reached on a fielding error and Carly Rennie (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) moved her over to second with a base hit to left field. Michelle Theilgard (North Branford, Connecticut/Mercy) connected for her third homerun of the season to center field on a 1-0 count. Sophie Perez (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) followed with her first homerun of the season to put the Skyhawks up 4-0.
Merrimack's Megan Cook was able to cut the deficit to three in the top of the second inning, 4-1, with a homerun to left center.
In the top of the third, the Warriors loaded the bases with two singles and a catchers' interference call and Nicole Nanof launched a grand slam over the center field fence to take Merrimack's first lead of the game, 5-4. Later in the inning with two outs, Abby Amato drove the ball out to center field and it was misplayed by the fielder to score three runs extending the lead to four, 8-4.
The Warriors added another run to the board in the top of the fifth, as Emily Kurkal singled to center field and stole second, to get in scoring position for Hannah Johnson with one out. Johnson dropped the ball into left center getting another run across the plate for Merrimack, 9-4.
Game 2: Stonehill 0 – Merrimack 2
Both teams registered one hit in the first inning, but neither team brought in the run as both runners were left on base. In the top of the second inning, Merrimack came close to scoring, as with two outs, Kurkal singled down the left field line and Amato followed with her own single. Amato stole second to put runners on second and third, and Johnson walked, but the Skyhawks' Jennifer Mayette (Scotia, New York/Scotia-Glenville) got Tiffany Mangiameli to ground out for the final out leaving the bases
Perez went 2-for-6 on the day with one run scored and one RBI |
Stonehill had an opportunity in the bottom of the fourth as they loaded the bases after two outs. Theilgard got the rally going with a single through the left side and Perez drove the ball to left field. Julia Hartman (Salisbury, Massachusetts/Triton Regional) walked loading the bases, but the Warriors' Megan Cook fended off the Skyhawks' offensive attack with a ground out getting out of a jam.
In the fifth inning, both teams tallied a hit, but were silent in the sixth inning, and Merrimack's Alyssa Williamson and Luciella Colarusso walked with two outs in the top of the seventh. Cook recorded her first hit of the game finding a hole in right field to see Williamson and Colarusso cross home plate, 2-0. Mayette ended the inning with another ground out, stranding one on base after allowing two runs.
The Skyhawks were unable to find a groove in the back half of the seventh, as Cook retired the side with three-straight groundouts, allowing only four hits for Stonehill, while Merrimack totaled seven.
Stonehill (5-18, 4-9 NE10) returns to action tomorrow, Thursday, April 12 as they host Assumption College in a NE10 conference divisional doubleheader at Fr. Gartland Field with a first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.