Freshman Megan Ruonavaara slugged two home runs and pitched a complete game for Stonehill in game one (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
EASTON, Mass. (March 30, 2013) – The Stonehill College softball team defeated the Saint Michael's College Purple Knights in a NE-10 Northeast Division matchup Saturday afternoon at Fr. William Gartland C.S.C. Field in Easton, Mass.
Stonehill 10, Saint Michael's 1
Ruonavaara slugs two home runs and pitches a complete game to help Stonehill take game one
Freshman pitcher/first baseman Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) led the way for Stonehill in game one, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs. Junior Briana Gunter (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) also hit a home run for the Skyhawks, who collected ten hits in game one.
Leading Saint Michael's was left fielder Greer Lemnah (Lyndon Center, Vt./Lyndon Institute). Lemnah went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Purple Knights. Bethany Falls (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) and Amanda Brigante (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) also collected hits for Saint Michael's.
Ruonavaara also pitched a complete game for the Skyhawks. The freshman yielded one earned run on three hits and three walks over five innings. Ruonavaara struck out three batters in the outing.
Senior Stephanie Frank (Essex, Vt./Essex) took the loss for Saint Mike's. Frank was charged with six runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk. Senior Lauren Mercik (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) pitched an inning of relief, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits.
The Skyhawks jumped out to a lead in the third inning. After Kelsey Wilcox (Canterbury, Conn./Griswold) singled and Nicole Eisenmann (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater) singled, Ruonavaara launched her first home run of the game to make it 3-0. Three batters later with a runner on first, junior Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) hit an RBI triple down the right field line. Morrell would later score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 Stonehill. Gunter then hit her second home run of the year, giving the Skyhawks a six-run advantage.
Stonehill would add to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on first and two outs, Ruonavaara blasted her second home run of the game to make it 9-0. The Skyhawks added another run later in the inning when Megan Staudle (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) hit an RBI-triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-0.
Saint Michael's avoided the shutout, getting a run in the seventh. Brigante led-off the inning with a double, before being driven home on a Lemnah RBI-single.
Stonehill 8, Saint Michael's 3
Kelsey Wilcox hits two home runs to help Stonehill claim game two.
Wilcox paced the Skyhawk offense in game two, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, four RBIs and a walk. Freshman Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Conn./Coginchaug) collected a home run of her own, a two-run shot in the fourth.
Senior captain Kelsey Wilcox launched two home runs for Stonehill in game two |
Leading the way for the Purple Knights was catcher Sarah Murray (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan). Murray went 1-for-3 with an RBI for Saint Michael's. Lemnah also earned an RBI for Saint Michael's, which posted seven hits in game two.
Esposito captured her third victory of the season in four innings of relief for Stonehill. The freshman held the Purple Knights to just one hit in her appearance. Junior Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) got the start and pitched three innings. McKillop gave up three earned runs on six hits, while striking out three for Stonehill.
Freshman Jennifer Niles (Chaumont, N.Y./General Brown) was charged with the loss in game two for Saint Michael's. Niles yielded eight earned runs on 10 hits and six walks over 3.1 innings of work. Junior Lea Gipson (Bridport, Vt./Middlebury Union) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief for the Purple Knights.
The Skyhawks got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Wilcox launched her first home run of the game, a solo homer to left. After an Eisenmann double, and a McKillop single, Staudle made it 2-0 when she singled home Eisenmann.
Stonehill added to its lead in the bottom of the second. Casey Remick (Norton, Mass./Norton) earned a lead-off walk and Courtney Marchand (Raymond, N.H./Timberlane Regional) followed by roping a single to left field. Wilcox then hit her second home run of the game to make it 5-0 Skyhawks.
Saint Michael's started to chip away at the lead in the top of the third. Carleen McLaughlin (Branford, Conn./Branford) started the inning with a double to right center field. After McLaughlin advanced to third on a wild pitch, Lemnah hit an RBI-groundout to the shortstop to put the Purple Knights on the board.
Saint Michael's added two more runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 5-3. Murray led-off the inning with a solo home run to center field, making it 5-2. Later in the inning Lindsay Houston (Concord, N.H./Concord) singled and scored on an illegal pitch to cut the lead to two.
Esposito got the Skyhawks back on track in the bottom of the fourth. After Ruonavaara walked, Esposito blasted her first collegiate home run to dead center field. Stonehill got another later in the inning when Marchand earned an RBI on a bunt single to the pitcher.
The Skyhawks (12-14, 3-1 NE-10 NE) return to action Tuesday afternoon for a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division matchup with UMass Lowell at Fr. William Gartland C.S.C Field beginning at 3:00 pm. Next up for the Purple Knights (0-16, 0-6) is a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Southern New Hampshire at 3:00 pm.
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