Softball Splits Twin Bill With Bentley

Whaley went 3-for-5 at the plate with one run scored and three RBI on the day


Rayner tossed her ninth-complete game of her career throwing 12.1 innings today

EASTON, Massachusetts (April 4, 2019) – The Stonehill College softball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Thursday against Bentley University on Fr. Gartland Field with a loss in game one with a score of 9-3 and then their second Conference win of the season 4-1 in game two.

With the split, Stonehill is now 5-16 overall and 2-9 in Conference play, while Bentley sits just above the Skyhawks in Conference play with a 9-17 overall mark and 5-6 in NE10 play.

Game 1: Stonehill 3 – Bentley 9

After a scoreless first inning, Stonehill put two on the board, 2-0,  in the bottom of the second, as Taylor Whaley, who was one of two Skyhawks to swing 2-for-3 singled to left field to score Gianna Azzato from second for the first run. Michelle Theilgard tallied her fifth double of the season as she drove in Whaley before Katherine Rayner was thrown out advancing to third.

The Falcons fed off the Skyhawks' offensive attack and on three hits in the top of the third, Bentley took the lead scoring three runs for their first advantage of the game, 3-2. Bentley added on three more runs to their score, 6-2, in the top of the fifth with a three-run shot from Julie Slavin over the left center fence.

Stonehill was hitless until the fifth inning when Whaley connected for her second single of the game but Bentley retired the side with three-straight outs before scoring three more runs on four hits in the top of the sixth for a 9-2 advantage.

Stonehill's Sophie Perez launched her second homerun of the game in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to six, 9-3, but their rally ended in the bottom of the seventh stranding two runners on base.

Game 2: Stonehill 4 – Bentley 1

Bentley hopped on board in the top of the first scoring a run on Ella Hillier's sacrifice fly to right field with runners on second and third to 1-0.


Perez connected for her second homerun of the season, sixth of her career

After Rayner put away three-straight in the top of the second, Stonehill saw two runs off two hits as Caroline Casey reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt with runners on second and third as Perez tied the game with her run and Azzato later scored on a passed ball for a 2-1 lead.

Both teams fended off one another for three-straight innings, as Julia Hartman led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to left center and Perez reached on a walk. Azzato squared for a sacrifice bunt moving the runners over to scoring position for Whaleys' two-run single up the middle extending the lead to three, 4-1.

Bentley threatened in the top of the seventh with two outs and runners on first and second, as Rogers reached on an error to make the bases loaded. Rayner retired the side with her 12th fly out of the game improving her record to 5-7 with her ninth complete game of her career.

Stonehill (5-16, 2-9 NE10) hosts Conference foe American International College from the Southwest Division to Fr. Gartland Field for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 7 with first pitch slated for noon.

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