Senior Nicole Eisenmann went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and two RBI to lead Stonehill in game two (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
EASTON, Mass. (April 24, 2013) – The Stonehill College softball team lost game one and tied game two during a Northeast-10 Conference double-header with the Merrimack College Warriors Wednesday afternoon at Father William Gartland C.S.C. Field in Easton, Mass.
Merrimack 8, Stonehill 0
Deardorff stifles the Skyhawks as Merrimack takes game one.
Senior pitcher Kelli Jo Deardorff (Bedford, Mass./Shawsheen Valley Tech) pitched a complete game shutout to earn her eighth win of the season for Merrimack. Deardorff held Stonehill scoreless, giving up just seven hits and two walks, while striking out a pair to take home the victory.
Freshman Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) pitched six innings, giving up eight runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks to take the loss for the Skyhawks. Classmate Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Conn./Coginchaug) pitched the seventh inning for Stonehill, giving up no runs on one hit.
After two scoreless innings, the Warriors got the scoring started in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Tawny Palmieri (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) roped a two-run double to left center field. Two batters later, Deardorff hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 Warriors.
Merrimack got another run in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 4-0. Junior Kelsey Francher (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional) belted a lead-off homer to right field to give the Warriors a four-run lead.
After the Warriors grabbed another run in the sixth, they poured it on with three runs in the seventh to make it 8-0. Following a leadoff double, Keaira Monet Perry (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham Memorial) hit a RBI-single to the shortstop, scoring the sixth run of the game for Merrimack. Two batters later, with runners on second and third, Jaclyn Giovannini (Plano, Texas/Plano East) drove in a run when she grounded out to the shortstop. The next batter, Francher, knocked in her second run of the game when she grounded out to second base, scoring Deardorff.
Deardorff closed it out for the Warriors in the seventh. After giving up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Cayleigh McCarthy (Norfolk, Mass./King Phillip), Deardorff retired the final three batters she faced to clinch the win for Merrimack.
Stonehill 6, Merrimack 6
Darkness ends the game in the top of the sixth, resulting in a tie.
Senior Nicole Eisenmann (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater) piloted the Skyhawks offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and three RBI. Freshmen Alison Sumski (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) and Megan Staudle (New Windsor, Conn./New Windsor) also registered home runs for Stonehill.
Sophomore Stephanie LaPierre (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) paced the Warriors offense. LaPierre went 2-for-2 with a single, a walk, a home run, and two RBI. Palmieri also recorded a home run for the Warriors.
Merrimack got the scoring started in the top of the first. With one out and no one on base, Palmieri launched her fifth home run of the season to put Merrimack up 1-0.
The Skyhawks quickly responded, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Sumksi led things off for Stonehill, hitting her third home run of the season down the left field line. Staudle made it back-to-back homers when she belted one to left center field to give Stonehill a 2-1 lead. Four batters later, with runners on the corners, Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) made it 3-1 when she hit a RBI-single through the left side.
Freshman Alison Sumski belted her third home run of the season for Stonehill in game two (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
The Warriors got one back in the top of the second to cut the lead to 3-2. With runners on first and second and two outs, junior Jessica Fugazzotto (Newton, Mass./Newton North) roped an RBI-single to left center field to bring Merrimack back within one.
The Warriors would regain the lead with two runs in the top of the third. After Alexis Perry (Westofrd, Vt./Essex) singled with two outs, LaPierre homered to left center field to give the Warriors the 4-3 advantage.
Stonehill fought back to tie the score at four in the bottom of the third. Casey Remick (Norton, Mass./Norton) stepped to the plate with a runner on first and hit a RBI-double through the gap in left center field to knot the score at four.
The Skyhawks got two more in the fourth to regain the lead. After Staudle singled with one out, Eisenmann launched her school-record 33rd home run of her career over the right center field wall to put the Skyhawks back up two.
Merrimack refused to go away, grabbing two runs in the top of the fifth to once again tie the score. With runners on first and second, Francher hit a RBI-single to right field to cut the lead to one. Two batters later junior Nicole LoPilato (Medford, Mass./Medford) knotted the score when she hit a RBI-single to center field.
After Stonehill was unable to score in the bottom of the fifth, the umpires called the game due to darkness, with the game resulting in a tie.
The Skyhawks (21-22-1, 8-7-1 NE-10) return to action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 when they host the Franklin Pierce University Ravens for a Northeast-10 Conference double-header. Next up for the Warriors (18-18-1, 9-6-1 NE-10 NE) is a 3:00 pm matchup with Bentley University tomorrow afternoon in Waltham, Mass.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.
