BROOKLYN, N.Y. (March 17, 2024) – The Stonehill College softball team secured its first Northeast Conference win of the season, defeating Long Island University, 4-3, at the LIU Softball Complex Sunday afternoon.
Stonehill 4 (4-10, 1-2 NEC), LIU 3 (14-12, 2-1 NEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Sharks drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when Alexia Castro brought Dallas Andrews in to score with an RBI single to center field.
Junior Chloe Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.) tied the game in the third, singling to right field as senior Maeve Proulx (Westford, Mass.) came in to score.
In the fourth, Proulx broke the tie with her first extra-base hit of the season, plating junior Isabella Therrien (Auburn, Mass.) who scored from second.
The Sharks scored twice in the bottom half of the fifth inning to retake the lead, 3-2, notching four singles to drive in a pair of runs.
Stonehill tied it up in the next half-inning as the Skyhawks recorded three straight base hits highlighted by junior Alyssa Grossi (Wakefield, Mass.) notching an RBI single on an infield hit to the catcher.
Freshman Alexa Hospodar (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) entered the game in relief in the fourth inning, allowing just two runs in the fifth before holding the Sharks scoreless for the remainder of the game.
With the score tied 3-3 in extra innings, the Skyhawks finally plated the game-winning run in the top half of the 10th inning as junior Shannon Conte (Amesbury, Mass.) reached first on an error by the center fielder, bringing the automatic runner, sophomore Natalie Bottiglieri (Massapequa, N.Y.), in to score.
Despite the Sharks beginning the bottom of the 10th inning with an automatic runner on second, Hospodar retired LIU with a 1-2-3 inning to secure the Skyhawk's first conference win of the season, 4-3.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Sunday's game marks the longest contest since the Skyhawks defeated Bentley in 10 innings on April 29, 2022, at Father Gartland Field.
- Stonehill secured its first win of conference play this year to improve to 1-2, started 0-15 in 2023 in the Skyhawks first season of NEC action.
- Hospodar tallied her first career win on the mound after throwing 6.1 innings in relief, striking out three batters. She now leads the team with 35 innings pitched this season with nine appearances under her belt.
- Therrien went 3-5 with three singles and a run scored in her second multi-hit game of the season.
- Kelly and Proulx each tallied two base hits and one RBI for the Skyhawks with Kelly improving her season batting average to a team-best .450. Proulx is also hitting the ball well this season, posting a .375 average at the plate.
- Grossi, Kelly, and Proulx all recorded their first RBI of the season in the winning effort.
UP NEXT
Stonehill softball takes on Siena College on Tuesday at
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