Skyhawks record 20 hits in the two victories

Rayner throws her 14th complete game, striking out six in the comeback (PHOTO BY: Jan Volk/Sportspix)

EASTON, Massachusetts (April 14, 2019) – The Stonehill College softball team recorded their fifth-straight victory over Northeast-10 Conference foe Saint Michael's College in the second doubleheader of the weekend with scores of 7-6 and 3-1 Sunday on Fr. Gartland Field.

With the win, Stonehill is now 12-18 overall and 8-10 in NE10 play, while Saint Michael's falls to 2-24 overall and 1-14 in Conference play.

Game 1: Stonehill 7 – Saint Michael's 6

With one out in the first inning, Aleksandra Apkarian singled to right field on a close play at first and after a pop out to short stop Danielle Markowski sent a long ball over the center field fence for a 2-0 lead to begin the game.

Stonehill cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the third, as Katherine Rayner bunted towards the shortstop reaching first with one out. Michelle Theilgard flew out to right field for the second out, and during Genna Hartman's at bat, Rayner stole second to get in scoring position. Hartman then drove her in with a grounder to shortstop advancing on the throw for a 2-1 game.

The Purple Knights extended its lead to five, 6-1, in the top of the fifth inning as they tallied five hits including four singles and a homerun for four runs. With one out, Saint Michael's saw back-to-back singles putting runners on first and second and then Apkarian moved the runners over for Torie Rathwell to drive the two home. Markowski followed that with a two-run homerun to left field, her second of the game.

After the Saint Michael's retired six straight, in the fifth and sixth, Stonehill found its groove connecting for seven hits and six runs for a walk-off win. The bases quickly got loaded and Cassie Holmgren drove the ball out to center field for a RBI single. Theilgard followed with her own RBI single scoring Carly Rennie and Hartman tallied her third double of the season to clear the bases tying the game at six, 6-6. Another double sailed from Julia Hartman and Sophie Perez scored the game-winning run on a ground out, 7-6.

Game 2: Stonehill 3 – Saint Michael's 1

Sophomore Julia Perrone retired 11-straight batters through the fourth inning, as Stonehill capitalized on the zeros to get their second lead of the day. In the bottom of the first with one out and runners on first and third, Genna Hartman drew the throw to second as she stole second, and Theilgard stole home for a 1-0 lead. The Purple Knights got the second out on a groundout but Caroline Casey singled to right field bringing home Hartman for the second run.

Hartman went 3-for-8 with two runs scored and four RBI in the two games (PHOTO BY: Jan Volk/SportsPix)

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Julia Hartman saw her own RBI single in the game with a poke to center field extending the Skyhawks' lead to three, 3-0. In the next three innings, both teams gave up two hits each.

In the top of the sixth with two outs, Apkarian once again reached base and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rathwell singled to left field, cutting the deficit to two, 3-1. The Skyhawks held on for their fifth-straight victory as Perrone earned her first-career win and Kazi Walker tallied her first-career save.

Stonehill hosts Merrimack College for the final doubleheader of a six-game home stand for the Skyhawks on Wednesday, April 17 on Fr. Gartland Field.  On Friday, April 26 Stonehill will host Franklin Pierce University for a doubleheader for their Strikeout Cancer Game. If you would like to donate click here.

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