Krantz becomes career leader in strikeouts, Stryker sets all-time program mark in at-bats and runs scored
|
| Sophomore Lindsay McKillop slugged a two-run homer in game two for the Skyhawks. |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 11, 2012) – Merrimack College swept a Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) softball doubleheader from Stonehill College on Wednesday evening at Warrior Diamond. The Warriors earned a 3-2 victory in game one and a 6-3 triumph in game two.
With two runs scored, one from each contest, senior shortstop Chelsea Stryker (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) established a new program best with 98 career runs scored surpassing Jennifer McBride's mark of 97 runs between 1998-01. Stryker also broke the school record for at-bats on the day (521) passing Stephanie Folan's mark of 519 set between 2005-08. Classmate Samantha Krantz (Hampton Bays, N.Y./Hampton Bays) struck out seven batters in game two to become the program's career leader in strikeouts with 229 total. Krantz breaks Jill Paquette's record of 227 strikeouts which was set between 1997-00.
Merrimack 3, Stonehill 2
Junior pitcher Kelli Jo Deardorff (Bedford, Mass./Shawsheen Valley Tech) improved to 4-7 overall on the season with a complete game effort against Stonehill. Deardorff gave up eight this, two runs (both earned), two walks and struck out five.
Sophomore Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) was handed the loss in relief on one inning pitched, two hits, one run (earned), no walks and one strikeout. Freshman starter Julianne Meehan (Groveland, Mass./Pentucket Regional) landed the no-decision in five innings of work, three hits, two runs (both earned), one walk and three punchouts.
The Warriors claimed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as junior shortstop Tawny Palmieri (Peabody, Mass./Peabody/UMass) doubled to left field to lead off the frame and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Monique Gosselin (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic).
Junior first baseman Curran Hubbard (Laconia, N.H./Laconia) made it 2-0 in the second inning with a solo shot to left field, her second of the season.
Stonehill evened the contest at 2-2 in the top of the third inning as McKillop ripped a two-run single up the middle plating Stryker and sophomore second baseman Christina Swider (Hebron, Conn./RHAM).
In the sixth, Gosselin knocked in the eventual game-winning run with a RBI single to left field. Palmieri set up the scoring with a leadoff single down the left field line and advanced to second base on a sac bunt by sophomore second baseman Ashley Perry (Winchendon, Mass./Murdock Middle).
Merrimack 6, Stonehill 3
Deardorff also earned the win in game two with her complete game of the evening. Deardorff allowed four hits, three runs (all unearned), two walks and three strikeouts.
Krantz suffered the loss on four-and-two-thirds innings pitched, nine hits, six runs (one earned), one walk and seven strikeouts. Classmate Kellie Reardon (Burlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) closed out the final one-and-one-thirds innings giving up no hits, no runs and one walk.
Merrimack raced out to a 4-0 lead over the first three innings as senior catcher Jenn Post (Orange, Conn./Amity) launched a three-run homer to centerfield in the second while Hubbard plated a run with a single to right centerfield in the third inning.
McKillop cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning with her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left centerfield.
The Warriors answered with a pair of runs in the fifth inning on two hits and one error. Senior left fielder Alex Gallant (Salem, N.H./Salem) highlighted the frame with a RBI double down the right field line.
Junior centerfielder Courtney Marchand (Raymond, N.H./Timberlane Regional) drove in junior Kaitlin Miller (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) on a groundout in the seventh, but Stonehill's rally fell with the tying run on deck.
McKillop picked up the Skyhawks only multi-hit performance in game two going 2-for-3 with one run scored and two runs batted in.
Stonehill (17-11, 10-10 NE-10) travels to Assumption College on Saturday, April 14 for a NE-10 doubleheader with game one scheduled for noon. Merrimack (12-17, 6-11 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire tomorrow for a NE-10 twinbill beginning at 3 p.m.
