Skyhawks fall in game one, 2-1, drop game two, 7-1, both in seven innings

Senior Michael White pitched all seven innings for the Skyhawks in game two.

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 9, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked sixth overall in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, dropped a doubleheader to Assumption College in non-conference action on Friday night at Pat Thomas Field falling to the Greyhounds in game one, 2-1, and 7-1 in game two (both seven inning games).

Assumption 2, Stonehill 1 (seven innings)

Senior right-handed pitcher Ben Hastings (Norton, Mass./Norton) earned the win on six-and-one-thirds innings pitched, one run (earned), five hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Cody Rocha (Fall River, Mass./ B.M.C. Durfee) notched the save on two-thirds of an inning, no hits, one walk and one punchout.

For Stonehill, senior left-hander Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) went the full seven allowing eight hits, two runs (one earned), one walk and three strikeouts in the loss.

The Skyhawks took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as senior Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) drove home junior Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) with a RBI single. Zeiner notched a double in the frame and advanced to third base on a groundout before scoring. Overall in game one, Zeiner went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored.

Assumption answered in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 1-1. Sophomore Ysander Figueroa (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Tech) led off the frame with a triple and came around to score on a RBI groundout by freshman Kelvin Sims (Manchester, Conn./East Catholic).

After two scoreless innings the Greyhounds took the lead for good as junior Nick Napoli (Medford, Mass./Boston College) doubled home senior Travis Smith (Coventry, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) who walked earlier in the frame.

Assumption 7, Stonehill 1 (seven innings)

Junior right-handed pitcher Dan Bradley (Moodus, Conn./Nathan Hale Ray) tossed a complete game yielding just four hits, one run (earned), no walks and struck out a game-high nine batters.

Senior right-hander Bryan Galligan (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) suffered the loss on three-and-two-thirds innings pitched, five hits, four runs (three earned), two walks and five punchouts.

Freshman reliever Steve Pike (Stoughton, Mass./Catholic Memorial) pitched a scoreless sixth inning for Stonehill on one hit and one strikeout while sophomore Tom Savageau (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) threw a clean 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Stonehill jumped out a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as freshman Cal Carroll (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) tripled in sophomore Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan), who doubled earlier in the frame, with two outs.

The Greyhounds responded in the top of the third inning with a pair of runs and added four more in the fourth to close out the contest. Assumption also scored one run in the fifth inning.

Figueroa led off the third with a triple and came around to score on a Sims sacrifice fly to left field tying the score at 1-1. Junior Shane Keddy (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Tech) followed with a walk and senior Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass./Saint John's) singled setting up the Greyhounds go-ahead and game-winning run which scored on a fielding error.

Carroll finished the contest going 2-for-2 with one double, a triple and one run batted in.

Stonehill (6-4, 0-0 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) returns to action on Sunday, March 11 against LIU-C.W. Post in non-conference doubleheader action in Winter Park, Fla. at Rollins College with game one scheduled for 10 a.m. Assumption (3-4, 0-0 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) plays the University of Bridgeport on Saturday, March 10 in Ormand Beach, Fla. for a twinbill beginning at 1 p.m.