HACKENSACK, N.J. (April 27, 2024) – The Stonehill College Softball team lost back-to-back games by one run against FDU on Saturday in a Northeast Conference doubleheader.
GAME 1 - FDU 5 (17-27, 6-13 NEC), Stonehill 4 (11-30, 2-14 NEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior Skylar Brandemarte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and FDU starter Brooklyn Shroyer both started the game strong in the circle as both teams entered the fifth inning scoreless.
A leadoff double from freshman Harper Sullivan (Glendale, Ariz.) set the Skyhawks up for the first run of the game as an error from the Knights allowed pinch-runner junior Alyssa Grossi (Wakefield, Mass.) to cross home plate and give Stonehill a 1-0 lead.
FDU countered and took the lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning as Riley Cunningham lifted a two-run home run over the right field fence.
Junior Shannon Conte (Amesbury, Mass.) came up clutch in the top of the sixth to tie things up, driving in sophomore Natalie Bottiglieri (Massapequa, N.Y.) to make the score 2-2.
Sullivan continued her strong play as the lead flipped back over in favor of the Skyhawks with the freshman lining a single through the left side of the infield to bring in Conte from third.
Stonehill added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with Bottiglieri driving in sophomore Jessica Brill (Natick, Mass.) who singled and stole second earlier in the inning as the Skyhawks went into the bottom half of the seventh ahead 4-2.
The Knights began the seventh with back-to-back singles and a pair of pinch-runners would eventually come around to score for FDU, tying the score at 4-4 and sending the game to extra innings.
After the Skyhawks went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, the Knights led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run from Ayden Stone to complete the comeback win for FDU, 5-4.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brandemarte went seven innings giving up four runs and striking out four batters while freshman Alex Sciaretto (Bristol, Conn.) drops to 1-5 on the season after entering the eighth inning in relief.
- Shroyer improves to 13-12 for the Knights as she allowed four runs, three earned, and tossed 11 strikeouts.
- Bottiglieri and Sullivan led Stonehill with two hits and an RBI apiece. Conte also had a hit and an RBI.
GAME 2 - FDU 7 (18-27, 7-13 NEC), Stonehill 6 (11-31, 2-15 NEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
FDU came out the gates firing as three of the first four Knight batters reached base leading to FDU taking a 3-0 lead after three singles and two walks drawn in the opening frame.
Brill got the Skyhawks on the board in the next half inning as she ripped a double into the right-centerfield gap. Bottiglieri built on her momentum from the first game, bringing Brill and freshman Piper Hofmann (Windermere, Fla.) in to score, tying the game, 3-3.
Redshirt sophomore May Dawes (Beacon Falls, Conn.) kept things rolling for Stonehill, singling through the right side of the infield, driving in Bottiglieri while giving the Skyhawks a 4-3 lead.
Conte and Sullivan hit RBI singles in back-to-back at-bats as Stonehill ripped off a six-run second inning to take a 6-3 advantage.
After Sciaretto set the Knights down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second, the FDU bats got going in the third with three base hits including a double in the gap along with two walks resulting in a three-run inning to knot things up 6-6.
Sullivan came in to pitch for the Skyhawks and hurled just as well as she had been hitting throughout the day, retiring seven of the first eight batters she faced.
The Stonehill bats went quiet after a hot start, and Sullivan made one mistake in the bottom of the sixth as Erika Barela connected with a pitch to send a solo home run into the stands as FDU took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
After throwing eight innings in the first game, Shroyer came back in for the Knights in relief, throwing four innings and shutting down Stonehill's chance of a comeback as she secured another one-run win for FDU, 7-6.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Despite going 3.1 innings while giving up one hit, Sullivan falls to 2-4 in the circle this year. Shroyer moves to 14-12 after collecting six more strikeouts in four innings of relief for the Knights.
- Sullivan also went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and a double, leading the Skyhawks with a .342 batting average this season.
- Bottiglieri went 3-3 with two RBI in the second game as she ended the day going 5-6 with five singles and three RBI.
- Conte went 1-4 with an RBI as she has now recorded a hit in 11 of the past 14 games and currently leads the Skyhawks with 22 RBIs and is second on the team with a .319 batting average.
UP NEXT
- Stonehill softball returns to Northeast Conference action tomorrow afternoon for the conclusion of its three-game series against FDU at noon at the FDU Softball Stadium.
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