Skyhawks off to their best start, 8-2 overall, since 2001

Junior Kelsey Wilcox went 5-for-8 with one run scored and five runs batted in for Stonehill in its doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon.

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 17, 2012) – The Stonehill College softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Millersville University, 6-3, and New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), 8-2, on Saturday afternoon at the National Training Center to cap its spring break trip to Florida with its best overall record in its first ten games since 2011 (8-2 start, 23-14-1 overall).

Stonehill 6, Millersville 3

Junior catcher Kelsey Wilcox (Canterbury, Conn./Griswold) knocked in four runs and senior pitcher Samantha Krantz (Hampton Bays, N.Y./Hampton Bays) hurled a complete game to pace the Skyhawks in game one of their doubleheader.

Krantz improved to 3-0 on the season allowing six hits, three runs (two earned), no walks and a game-high eight strikeouts. For Millserville, junior reliever Alicia Hughes (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) was handed the loss on two innings pitched, four hits, three runs (all earend), one walk and one punchout. Freshman starter Sarah Bertoni (Naticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke) was dealt the no-decision over five innings of work, eight hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and four strikeouts.

Millersville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Stonehill committed a throwing error with the bases loaded scoring one run, Bertoni singled home freshman catcher Gabbie Berry (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area) who reached base on a hit-by-pitch and freshman first baseman Ashley Cantiello (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) stole home on the back end of a run down.

Stonehill trimmed its deficit with one run in the top of the third inning on a run-producing single by Wilcox that scored senior shortstop Chelsea Stryker (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial).

In the fourth inning, junior centerfielder Courtney Marchand (Raymond, N.H./Timberlane Regional) made it 3-2 with a RBI single plating sophomore third baseman Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) who reached base on a fielding error and advanced to second base on a Stryker walk before crossing home plate.

Wilcox gave the Skyhawks their first lead in the top of the sixth inning with a bases clearing double for a 5-3 lead and senior designated player Kellie Reardon (Burlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) followed with a RBI single, scoring Wilcox from second, for a 6-3 advantage.

Stonehill compiled 12 hits total as a team with four players collecting mulit-hit games. Stryker went 2-for-3 with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot while Wilcox was 3-for-4 with four runs batted in and one run scored. Morrell and sophomore second baseman Christina Swider (Hebron, Conn./RHAM) produced similar lines at the plate going 2-for-4 with one run scored apiece.

Junior Nicole Eisenmann fell a triple short of the cylce in game two for Stonehill.

Stonehill 8, NYIT 2

Reardon earned her first win in the circle this season (1-2 overall, three starts) throwing five-and-two-thirds innings, yielding three hits, two runs (both earned), two walks and two strikeouts. Freshman reliever Julianne Meehan (Groveland, Mass./Pentucket Regional) finished the final one-and-one-thirds innings of the contest giving up one hit, no runs, one walk and one punchout.

Senior Natasha Milosevich (Torrance, Calif./El Camino CC) suffered the loss on two innings pitched, six hits, four runs (all earned) and one walk.

Stonehill claimed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as junior left fielder Casey Remick (Norton, Mass./Norton) notched a RBI single, Stryker plated a run on a groundout and Marchand singled home a run with a base hit to center.

In the third inning, Eisenmann led off the frame with a double and immediately came around to score as Wilcox followed with a RBI single. After the Skyhawks scored another run on a throwing error in the fourth, Eisenmann pushed Stonehill's advantage to 5-0 with a run-producing single.

NYIT cut into the deficit at 7-2 in the sixth inning on a two-run double to centerfield off the bat of freshman designated player Jacklyn Fagen (Vadnais Heights, Miss./Concordia HS).

Eisenmann fell a triple short of the cycle as the junior crushed a solo home run to dead centerfield in the bottom half of the frame to round out the scoring at 8-2.

The Skyhawks had five hitters collect multi-hit games including Eisenmann who was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Stryker went 2-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI's, Wilcox was 2-for-4 with one RBI, Reardon went 2-for-4 with one run scored and Remick was 3-for-3 with one RBI.

Stonehill (8-2, 3-1 NE-10) travels to Bentley University on Tuesday, March 20 for a Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) doubleheader tilt with game one beginning at 3 p.m. NYIT (1-4, 0-0 ECC) takes on Merrimack College at 9 a.m. and Franklin Pierce University at 1 p.m. in Clermont, Fla. in its final games of its spring break trip.