Three Skyhawks batted 1-for-2 in season opener
MELBOURNE, Fla. (February 17, 2017) – The Stonehill softball team was edged 10-2 in five innings by No. 4 Armstrong State University in its season opener on Friday, February 17.
Stonehill (0-1) saw three players hit 1-for-2, as only two runs were scored. Cassandra Squeri (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) also recorded a run and tallied a RBI, while Erin Brayden (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) recorded the second RBI and her first double of the season and Olivia Peterson (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) was the other batter to record one hit in the afternoon.
No. 4 Armstrong (5-1) saw Hannah Reppert slam two homeruns, as Jane Trzaska and Katie Collins each recorded their own. All three players also batted 2-for-3, while Reppert tallied five RBIs and Trzaska and Collins registered two RBIs each.
The Skyhawks connected early in the top of the first inning as Taylor Lester (East Northport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) reached second on a throwing error by the Pirates, as she got in scoring position for Stonehill with one out. Squeri came up to bat and found the opposite field, scoring Lester for her first RBI of the season. Brayden followed with a long double to center field scoring Squeri from first for a 2-0 lead for the Skyhawks. Stonehill held Armstrong scoreless in the bottom of the first, as Squeri was able to get the batters to ground out twice and fly out to right field.
In the second inning, Stonehill left a runner on first, as the Pirates tallied their first run of the game from a Collins' single and Logan Harrell scoring from second, closing the gap to one, 2-1, in favor of the Skyhawks.
Stonehill was unsuccessful in the top of the third, while Armstrong's Reppert sent a two-run blast to center field taking a 3-2 lead. Squeri let the bases get full as the Pirates' Weaver bunted with two outs successfully scoring Trzaska before getting called out, extending the lead to two, 4-2.
With a pitching change for the Skyhawks in the bottom of the fourth, freshman Kazi Walker (Quaker Hill, Conn./Waterford) let up a three-run homerun from Reppert with one out, as Trzaska also sent one over the fences for a two-run blast putting the Pirates up 10-2.
Armstrong closed the game in the top of the fifth, as the Skyhawks saw a strike out, a pop up and a ground out.
Stonehill is back in action tomorrow Saturday, February 18 as it faces East Stroudsburg University in a 10:00 a.m. contest and Florida Institute of Technology at 3:00 p.m., as it continues play in the Florida Tech Marriott Brawl at the Beach.
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