Perez ropes her fifth homerun of her career for game winner

Theilgard launches her sixth-career homerun to tie the game at one, 1-1

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (March 31, 2019) – The Stonehill College softball team earned their first Northeast-10 Conference win snapping the 2018 NCAA Division II semifinalist Saint Anselm College's five-game win streak with a 3-2 victory in nine innings on Sunday morning at South Atlantic Field.

This was the first win for the Skyhawks against the Hawks since the 2016 season when Stonehill won the series 2-1 with a 3-0 shutout and a 7-2 victory at Fr. Gartland Field. The 3-2 NE10 loss was the first for the Hawks, leaving Southern New Hampshire University at the top of the Northeast Division with the only undefeated record in the Division.

For the Skyhawks (4-13, 1-6 NE10), Michelle Theilgard, Julia Hartman and Sophie Perez notched solo homeruns, as Perez launched her first homerun of the season for the game winner in the top of the ninth inning. On the mound, Katherine Rayner tossed her seventh complete game earning her fourth win, striking out five and allowing seven hits.

The Hawks' (15-7, 3-1 NE10) trio of Morgan Perry, Courtney Fisher, and McKenna Smith on the mound combined for 13 strikeouts in the nine-inning game. Erin Thompson was the lone Saint Anselm batter to record multiple hits swinging 2-for-4 with one run scored. Jordan O'Connor scored the other run for the hawks as she went 1-for-3 at the plate and Abbie Murrell recorded on RBI for the Hawks with her 1-for-4 at bats.

In the bottom of the second, Saint Anselm put the first run on the board with two outs and runners on first and third. Maggie Murphy stole second during Maddison Leite's at bat and O'Connor scored on a throwing error to give the Hawks' a 1-0 advantage.

Both teams were scoreless in the third, but with one out in the top of the fourth, Theilgard lifted her sixth-career homerun over the left center fence to tie the game at one, 1-1. Hartman followed with her fifth long shot of her career, also over the left center fence for their first lead of the weekend, 2-1. Perez continued the attack with a single through the left side and Hayley Tobin moved her over with a sacrifice bunt but the side was retired with a line out.

Hartman tallies her fifth homerun of her career to give Stonehill a one-run lead, 2-1

Saint Anselm threated in the bottom of the fourth stranding two on base but Stonehill's defense stood strong. The Hawks were able to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth combining two hits for a 2-2 game and both teams left a runner on second in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the ninth, Perez, the lead-off batter connected for her first homerun of the season and fifth of her career to put the Skyhawks up once again, 3-2. Genna Hartman singled through the left side and advanced to third, but the Hawks retired the side with a pop out. Rayner retired the bottom of the inning with a strikeout, a foul out and a line out to take the Skyhawks' first NE10 win on the season.

Stonehill will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 3 with a first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. against NE10 divisional foe Assumption College.

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