Sophomore Megan Staudle went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI in Stonehill's 10-9, 11-inning win against Assumption tonight. |
Skyhawks hit four home runs in first extra inning contest of the season
WORCESTER, Mass. (April 9, 2014) – Stonehill College took leads in both the eighth and tenth innings before finally holding on for a 10-9 victory over Assumption College in 11 innings tonight in Northeast-10 Northeast Division softball action at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Stonehill has now won eight of its last nine games, and currently sits in first place in the Northeast Division with a 5-0 record.
Sophomore Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) led the Skyhawks offensively, as she went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and three RBI. Freshman Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's), who was named the NE-10 Rookie of the Week yesterday, went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI, while sophomore Megan Staudle (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) matched Carbone's 3-for-6 effort and added a home run and two RBI. Freshman Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, N.J./New Providence), sophomore Alison Sumski (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), and senior Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) added two hits apiece to round out Stonehill's offense.
Carbone |
Ruonavaara also started the game in the circle for the Skyhawks, but did not earn a decision after going 4.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Squeri came on in relief of Ruonavaara and gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings, before Carbone took over and earned the win after pitching the final three innings and allowing two unearned runs on two hits.
Assumption was led by senior Nikki Boris (Gardner, Mass./Gardner), junior Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name), and sophomore Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass./Fairhaven). Boris had a game-high four hits, while DiPilato went 2-for-6 with three RBI and Moniz added three hits and one RBI.
The Greyhounds used four different pitchers in the contest, with freshman Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn./Vernon) starting the game and going two innings while allowing three runs on six hits. Sophomore Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) eventually took the loss after pitching the final 3.1 innings and giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits.
Stonehill and Assumption traded single runs in the first inning, before the Skyhawks went up 3-1 in the third on Carbone's two-run shot to left center, her second homer in as many games. The Greyhounds got one run back in the bottom of the fourth, as Stonehill led 3-2 after four innings.
Sophomore Megan Ruonavaara started the game in the circle and did not earn a decision, but she went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and three RBI. |
Stonehill then increased its lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth on a two-run double by senior Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow), before Assumption put four runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-5 lead. The Skyhawks tied the score the next inning on Ruonavaara's solo home run to center field, and the score remained tied through the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
Staudle led off the eighth with a home run to give Stonehill its third lead of the night, but Assumption answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out RBI single by DiPilato. After a scoreless ninth, just the third scoreless frame of the contest, Stonehill was again able to take an extra-inning lead in the tenth.
With a runner placed on second due to the tiebreaker rule, Ruonavaara belted her second home run of the contest, a two-run shot to put Stonehill up 9-7. Facing a two-run deficit in the bottom of the tenth, Assumption tied the score again, and again it was DiPilato providing the heroics with a two-out, two-run single that sent the game to the 11th inning.
After Morrell singled with one out in the frame, putting runners on first and third, Carbone reached on an error by Assumption freshman Ashley Abad (Bedford, N.H./Bedford), allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Greyhounds threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but were unable to extend the game any further.
Stonehill (13-12, 8-3 NE-10) will be right back in action tomorrow with a 3 p.m. contest at Bentley University, before returning home to host Southern New Hampshire University in a three game series this weekend at Gartland Field. Assumption (9-12, 3-6 NE-10) will also be in action tomorrow, as the Greyhounds are set to host Merrimack College in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
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