Senior Kelsey Wilcox launched a two-run home run in Stonehill's 5-2 loss to Molloy (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
CLERMONT, Fla. (March 9, 2013) – The Stonehill College softball team lost a pair of games to the Molloy College Lions Saturday afternoon at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.
Molloy 1, Stonehill 0
Butterworth tosses one-hitter to shut down the Skyhawks
Senior pitcher Megan Butterworth (North Bellmore, N.Y./Holy Trinity) pitched a complete game one-hitter to pace the Lions. Butterworth retired 21 of the 22 batters she faced, striking out 14 Skyhawks on the way to her fourth win of the season.
Freshman Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) gave up one earned run on seven hits to take the loss for the Skyhawks. Ruonavaara struck out three batters in the pitcher's duel.
The Lions captured the only run of the game in the first inning. Jeana Frey (Island Park, N.Y./Holy Trinity) hit a lead-off single and advanced to second on Butterworth's sacrifice bunt. Nicolette Sinagra (Brooklyn, N.Y./New Utrecht) roped an RBI double to right center field, plating Frey to make it 1-0
Stonehill freshman Alison Sumski (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) recorded the only hit of the game for the Skyhawks with a third inning single. Besides Sumski, Butterworth retired all 21 other batters she faced.
Molloy 5, Stonehill 2
Four-run sixth pushes Lions to game-2 victory
Sophomore Brenda Lee (Corona, Calif./Santiago) went 1-3 with two RBIs to lead the Lions. Sinagra, Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J./Edison) and Reina Torlincasi (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) also registered RBIs for the Lions in the night-cap.
Senior Kelley Jansen (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) recorded Molloy's second complete game of the afternoon. Jansen was charged with two earned runs on four hits, while recording 13 strikeouts.
Freshman Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Conn./Coginchaug) was tagged for four runs and took the loss for Stonehill. Esposito went five innings striking out three Lions and yielding four hits and three walks.
Molloy once again jumped out to an early first inning lead. Frey opened the inning with a walk before Butterworth advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Sinagra registered her first RBI of the day when she singled home Frey for the 1-0 advantage.
Stonehill responded in the fourth inning with two runs of its own. Sumski recorded her third hit of the day to reach base, making way for Kelsey Wilcox's (Canterbury, Conn./Griswold) two-run home run. Wilcox's first home run of the season gave Stonehill a 2-1 lead.
The Lions refused to be denied as they erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sinagra reached on an error to open the inning and Milan Botte (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) followed with a walk to put runners on first and second. Lee doubled down the left field line, scoring both Botte and Sinagra to give the lead back to Molloy. The Lions would add two more runs in the inning on a Balinskas RBI double and a Torlincasi RBI single.
Stonehill (4-8, 0-0 NE-10) returns to action Thursday afternoon when it travels to Southern Connecticut for a NE-10 matchup with the Owls beginning at 2:30 pm. Next up for Molloy is a double-header tomorrow afternoon with St. Michael's and Alderson-Broaddus at 1:00 pm.
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