Senior Megan Staudle led the Skyhawks at the plate today, going 3-for-6 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Skyhawks fall to Southern New Hampshire in the opener, 4-0, before defeating Bentley in game two, 4-2

EASTON, Mass. (April 17, 2016) – The Stonehill College softball team split a pair of Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division games today at Gartland Field during senior day. The Skyhawks were shutout in the opener, 4-0, by Southern New Hampshire University, before bouncing back with a 4-2 win over Bentley University in the nightcap.

Senior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) led Stonehill at the plate, finishing 3-for-6 with a stolen base and a run, while classmate Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Connecticut/Coginchaug) and junior Lianna Jordan (Staten Island, New York/St. Joseph By the Sea) were the only other two Skyhawks to record a multi-hit day.

Senior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) pitched the opener against Southern New Hampshire and threw 6.1 innings, allowing four runs while striking out three batters. Classmate Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) started in the circle for game two against Bentley, pitching three innings while surrendering two runs. Junior Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, New York/St. Anthony's) picked up her fifth win of the season as she tossed four innings of scoreless relief, only allowing one hit.

Southern New Hampshire 4, Stonehill 0

For Southern New Hampshire, senior Mo Hannan (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) and freshman Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) paced the Penmen offense, combining to go 5-for-9 with two homeruns, three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Lavallee (Candia, New Hampshire/Central) shut down Stonehill at the plate, holding the Skyhawks to two hits as she threw a complete-game shutout.

Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as the Penmen used four singles to score their two runs. The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh inning, when Hannan and Garczynski each connected on a solo homerun to chase Ropiak out of the game and push the Penmen lead to 4-0.

Junior Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, New Jersey/New Providence) came on in relief for Stonehill and recorded the final two outs of the seventh to escape the inning without any further damage. The Skyhawks would go down in order in the bottom of the seventh, as the division leading Penmen took two out of three from the Skyhawks in the three game weekend series.

Stonehill 4, Bentley 2

Junior Michelle Carbone picked up her fifth win of the season against Bentley in game two.

For Bentley, senior Alex Borelli (Salem, New Hampshire/Central Catholic) paced the Falcons offense, going 2-for-3 with a homerun, while junior Chelsea Vena (Matawan, New Jersey/Saint John Vianney) finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Stonehill got on the board first, scoring the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. Staudle started the rally with a one out single to right field and Jordan followed up with an RBI double to center field, scoring Staudle to give the Skyhawks the lead.

Bentley responded in the second inning, when senior Jill Raia (Montville, New Jersey/Morristown-Beard School) hit a single to left field, scoring Vena from second base. The Falcons took the lead in the top of the fourth as Borelli led off the inning with a solo shot to left center field, knocking Ruonavaara out of the game and bringing in Carbone for Stonehill.

Down 2-1 heading to the fifth inning, Stonehill's managed to take advantage of two Bentley wild pitches to take the lead. Esposito started the inning with a single up the middle. Staudle then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Esposito into scoring position and Jordan singled to second base, placing Esposito on third. Carbone followed with an RBI bunt single and senior Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) reached on a fielder's choice, subsequently stealing second base, and placing runners on second and third base. With two runners in scoring position, Ruonavarra struck out swinging but advanced to first base on a wild pitch, scoring Jordan from third and giving the Skyhawks the lead. Sumski then came around to score on another wild pitch, making the score 4-2.

Carbone settled in on the mound and found her groove, only allowing one base hit the rest of the game as Stonehill picked up a much needed Conference win heading into the final games of the season.

Stonehill (19-16, 15-8) returns to Gartland Field on Tuesday as the Skyhawks close out their home schedule with a single contest against Merrimack College at 3:00 p.m. Bentley (12-18, 10-9 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday as well, as the Falcons host Assumption for a single contest at 3:00 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (21-10, 13-4 NE-10) returns to the diamond on Monday when the Penmen travel to Franklin Pierce for a game at 3:00 p.m.

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