Junior Steve Lee recorded his third, four-hit game of the early season to pace the Skyhawks offensively. |
Skyhawks score game-winning run on a hit batter in bottom of the ninth
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 28, 2016) – The Stonehill College baseball team wrapped up its season-opening, five-game trip at the Ripken Experience Northeast Challenge in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina today by completing a 7-6 walkoff victory over Chestnut Hill College.
Junior shortstop Steve Lee (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) led Stonehill at the plate, as he went 4-for-5 with a homerun and two RBI. Junior outfielder Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) hit two doubles and scored a run, while sophomore outfielder Tyler Carey (Raynham, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run.
Sophomore righthander Joe Klingensmith (Topsfield, Massachusetts/Masconomet) got the start on the mound for the Skyhawks and gave up one unearned run over four innings of work while striking out two and walking three. Junior lefty Jeremy Roberts (Reading, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) took over in the fifth and logged 1.2 innings of one run ball, allowing just two hits while striking out one and walking one. Classmate Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) earned his third career victory after working out of a ninth inning jam.
Junior outfielder Joseph Monaghan (Doylestown, Pennsylvania/Bucks County Community College) paced the Griffins offensively with four singles, two RBI and a run. Senior outfielder Brendan Looby (Sewell, New Jersey/Pitman) went 1-for-1 with three walks, a homerun, two RBI and two runs, while Sophomore Alec Craig (Hammonton, New Jersey/Saint Joseph) added two singles and a run.
Senior Robert Andris (Oreland, Pennsylvania/Springfield Township) took the ball for Chestnut Hill and lasted just 1.2 innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs. Freshman Kyle Hasforth (Midlothian, Virginia/Clover Hill) was hit with the loss after allowing the game-winning runner to reach base in the bottom of the ninth.
Stonehill jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, aided by two walks, two singles, and a triple. Carey got the rally started with a walk, followed by sophomore Isiah Nunez's (Brooklyn, New York/Berkshire School) single. With two men on base, senior Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) roped a triple to plate both runners and Lee knocked in Hoyt with a single the very next at bat.
Senior Chris Hoyt drove in the game winning run on a hit by pitch |
Chestnut Hill got on the board in the third inning when freshman Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania/Pennsbury) reached base on an error and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Craig. After senior Dalton Cozart (Commerce Twp, MichiganCoppin State University) drew a walk, Monaghan knocked Szumigala in with a single.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth inning, Stonehill scored twice more in the fifth. Monte got the inning started with a double, followed by junior Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) getting hit by a pitch. After senior Brian Hocking (Duxbury, Massachusetts/BC High) struck out swinging, Carey drove in Monte with a double and Hoyt plated Bowler on an error by the third baseman.
With Stonehill leading 5-1 after the fifth inning, Chestnut Hill started their rally. Looby reached base on a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, was sent to third on a fielder's choice before coming around to score on a sac fly. The Griffins scored twice more in the seventh inning to bring the score to 5-4. Lee responded for the Skyhawks, continuing his sizzling start to the season, crushing his second homerun of the campaign in the eighth.
Stonehill looked to be putting the final touches on their second win of the season, up 6-4 with two outs in the ninth, when Monaghan hit a single and Looby connected on a homerun to tie the game up at six runs apiece, setting up Stonehill for the dramatic finish. Bowler led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and was replaced by freshman Matthew Rocco (Newington, Connecticut/Newington) as a pinch runner. After Hocking popped up to the catcher, Carey hit a single and stole second as Rocco advanced to third. With runners on second and third, Nunez was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out and Hoyt coming up to the plate. Hoyt was subsequently hit by a pitch for the second consecutive batter, forcing Rocco home and giving the Skyhawks the win.
Stonehill (2-3, 0-0 NE-10) will have a six day break from competition before heading down to Florida on March 5th for the Palm Beach Challenge. The Skyhawks are slated to host Franklin Pierce University for their 2016 home opener at Lou Gorman Field on Saturday, March 26th.
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