Junior Alison Sumski went 2-for-3 at the plate with a three-run home run in Stonehill's 6-1 win over Franklin Pierce today. |
Skyhawks clinch berth in next week's NE-10 Tournament
EASTON, Mass. (April 24, 2015) – Stonehill College snapped a scoreless tie with six runs in the fifth inning on its way to a 6-1 victory over Franklin Pierce University this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division softball action at Gartland Field.
Stonehill's win, combined with losses this afternoon by Bentley University and Merrimack College, secures the Skyhawks a berth in next week's NE-10 Tournament.
Junior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) got the start in the circle for Stonehill and improved to 11-7 with the complete game victory after striking out four and giving up one unearned run on five hits.
Junior second baseman Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) went 2-for-3 at the plate and highlighted Stonehill's big fifth inning with a three-run homer. Sophomore Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) also posted a 2-for-3 effort with a two-run double, while junior Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) added a pair of hits and classmate Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) recorded an RBI double.
Junior Sarah Ropiak improved to 11-7 with the win after striking out four and allowing five hits over seven innings. |
Freshman Cassidy Sorenson (Billerica, Massachusetts/Billerica Memorial) led the Franklin Pierce offense, reaching base twice with a walk and a single. Classmate Samantha Bonvino (Milford, Massachusetts/Milford) singled and drove in a run, while three other Ravens recorded one hit each.
Freshman Aubrey Bianco (Marlboro, New York/Marlboro) dropped to 0-5 this season with the loss, as she gave up three runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
Ropiak cruised through the first three frames this afternoon, retiring nine consecutive Ravens until Sorenson broke up her no hit bid with a single to lead off the fourth. Sorenson advanced to third with one out following a single by graduate student Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, New York/Thousand Island), but Ropiak retired the next two batters to end the threat.
Stonehill stranded runners on first and third in the fourth, before finally breaking the scoreless tie with six runs on six hits in the sixth. Staudle got it started with an RBI double to left field, and two batters later Squeri gave the Skyhawks a 3-0 lead with a two-run double to right. Following a single by Ruonavaara, Sumski broke the game open with a three-run homer over the left field fence.
Franklin Pierce got one run back in the seventh with the help of two hits and two Stonehill errors, but Ropiak worked out of a bases-loaded jam with a fly out and a pair of groundouts.
Stonehill (19-13, 12-7 NE-10) and Franklin Pierce (7-18, 7-15 NE-10) will wrap up their regular season schedules tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader at Gartland Field.
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