Sophomore Megan Ruonavaara led Stonehill to a pair of wins today, as she went 5-for-6 with a home run and a walk-off single against Southern New Hampshire.

Skyhawks walk off with 4-3 win over Penmen before defeating Purple Knights, 6-1

EASTON, Mass. (April 13, 2014) – The Stonehill College softball team earned a pair of Northeast-10 Northeast Division victories over two different opponents at two different venues today. Stonehill won its first game of the day, a 4-3 walk-off victory over Southern New Hampshire University at Gartland Field, before defeating Saint Michael's College, 6-1, at the Warrior Softball Diamond on the campus of Merrimack College.

Stonehill 4, Southern New Hampshire 3 

 In its first game of the day, Stonehill came from behind to earn a walk-off victory over Southern New Hampshire in the rubber game of the weekend series. Sophomore Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) went 2-for-2 and provided the game-winning hit, a two-run single down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Classmate Alison Sumski (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) also posted a 2-for-4 effort at the plate to go with a double, while freshman Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, N.Y./St. Anthony's) went 3-for-3 and belted her third home run of the season.

Carbone also started the game in the circle, but did not earn a decision after going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while recording one strikeout and four walks. Classmate Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) improved to 4-0 after picking up the win in relief, as she pitched the final 1.2 frames and held the Penmen scoreless on just two hits.

Southern New Hampshire was led offensively by sophomore Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) and junior Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham). Hannan and Eicher each went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Hannan also recorded one RBI.

Ropiak

Junior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass./Norwood), who earned her ninth win of the season yesterday against Stonehill with a complete game, three-hit shutout effort, took the loss today after going the distance again and allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out nine and walking four.

After three scoreless frames, Southern New Hampshire put three runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning with the help of four hits and one costly error. The first two batters reached on singles, and senior Morgan Farmer (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional) followed with another single, plating the game's first run. Farmer eventually came around to score on a Stonehill throwing error, and Hannan drove in Southern New Hampshire's third run of the inning with a hard hit single that bounced off Sumski's glove and into the outfield.

Stonehill got one run back in the bottom of the inning, as Carbone homered to left center field, but the Skyhawks still trailed 3-1 heading into their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh.

Sumski singled with one out in the inning, but was forced out at second base on the following play as senior Jocelynne Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) reached on a fielder's choice. Sophomore Megan Staudle (New Windsor, N.Y./Cornwall Central) came up next and drew a walk, before senior Lindsay McKillop (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw home, scoring Morrell and bringing Stonehill to within one run, at 3-2. With runners on second and third and two down in the inning, Ruonavaara came up and ripped the game-winning hit down the left field line, securing Stonehill's series victory over the Penmen this weekend.

Sophomore Alison Sumski went 4-for-8 with a double and one RBI today.

Stonehill earned its second victory of the day, a 6-1 triumph over Saint Michael's, on the strength of sophomore Sarah Ropiak's (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) best outing in a Stonehill uniform. Ropiak tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits to go with two strikeouts and no walks. She also helped her own cause, collecting two RBI.

The Skyhawks gave Ropiak plenty of run support, as they scored six times on 12 hits. Ruonavaara continued her hot hitting from earlier in the day, as she went 3-for-4 with a home run, while Sumski, Staudle, and sophomore Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Conn./Coginchaug) each picked up a pair of hits. Carbone went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Morrell added a hit and a run.

Senior Lea Gipson (Bridport, Vt./Middlebury Union) dropped to 1-5 after taking the loss for Saint Michael's, as she gave up six runs on 12 hits over seven innings in the circle. Sophomore Judi Barcavage (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) led the Purple Knights offensively with a pair of hits and one RBI, while senior Bethany Falls (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Ruonavaara got the scoring started for the Skyhawks when she homered with one out in the second inning, and Stonehill added three more runs in the fourth.

Morrell and Staudle led off with back-to-back singles, and two batters later Ruonavaara reached on an infield single to load the bases. Carbone came up next and plated two runs with a single up the middle, and Ropiak followed with an RBI ground out to give Stonehill a 4-0 lead.

Stonehill added two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Ropiak and an RBI single by Sumski, and Saint Michael's finally broke through with a run in the bottom of the seventh, as Falls led off with an infield single before eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by Barcavage.

Stonehill (16-14, 11-5 NE-10) and Saint Michael's (1-18, 1-10 NE-10) will be back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m., while Southern New Hampshire (19-9, 8-5 NE-10) will head to Franklin Pierce University tomorrow for a 4 p.m. contest.

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