Sophomore Kaitlin Andrews threw a four-hit shutout in game one to get the strong pitching pefformance rolling.

Stonehill Blanks AIC Twice in Sweep

Skyhawks pitching staff runs shutout streak to 29 innings with second and third-straight shutouts
Stonehill wins game one, 4-0, takes game two 1-0 in nine innings

EASTON, Mass. (April 10, 2010) – Stonehill College kept rolling by sweeping a doubleheader at American International College in Northeast-10 Conference softball action at Judy Groff Field this afternoon. The Skyhawks opened with a 4-0 win in game one, before edging the Yellow Jackets 1-0 in nine innings to complete in the sweep in game two.

Stonehill, winners of four-straight and five of six, got a pair of shutout performances this afternoon from senior Kait Mendall (Middleboro, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) and sophomore Kaitlin Andrews (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) to spearhead the wins. Skyhawks pitching has now posted 29-straight shutout innings going back to the first inning of Wednesday's 5-1 win over Franklin Pierce in game one of that doubleheader, posting three-straight shutouts since.

Senior Kristen Clark (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) paced the Stonehill offense as she hit a combined 3-for-5 in the doubleheader with a run scored. Sophomore Chelsea Stryker (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) finished 2-for-6 with a stolen base and two runs scored.

Freshman Laura Rousseau (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee Comprehensive) was a combined 3-for-6 to lead American International at the plate.

Stonehill 4, American International 0 (Game One)
Boxscore

Kaitlin Andrews tossed a four-hit shutout to lead Stonehill to the 4-0 win in game one today.

Andrews scattered four singles over her seven innings of work, striking out five and walking none to earn the win (2-2) in the circle.

Freshman Nicole Eisenmann was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI to pace the offense in game one.

Freshman Nicole Eisenmann (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater) paced the offense as she hit 2-for-3 with a double and RBI. Kristen Clark was also 2-for-3 with a run scored, while sophomore Lindsay Bock (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) batted 1-for-3 with an RBI. Chelsea Stryker chipped in by hitting 1-for-2 with a stolen base and run scored.

Laura Rousseau had two of AIC's four hits, finishing 2-for-3 in the contest. Sophomore Kristen Dolan (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) took the loss (3-7) for the Yellow Jackets, yielding four runs, two earned, on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks over five innings.

Stonehill got the only run it would need in the top of the first when Stryker reached with a bunt single, stole second, and then scored on a double to right center by Eisenmann.

The Skyhawks added three in the fourth, taking advantage of two AIC errors. Eisenmann led off with a single to left, junior Katy Abarr (Richmond, R.I./The Prout School) reached on an error and Clark on an infield single. After an infield fly for the first out of the inning, Bock singled to left and all three base runners scored on the play as the AIC leftfielder misplayed the ball.

Andrews took over from there, retiring 11 of the last 12 batters she faced to complete the shutout win.

Stonehill 1, American International 0 – 9 innings (Game Two)
Boxscore

Kait Mendall fired a two-hit shutout over nine innings and Chelsea Stryker scored on a double-steal attempt in the top of the ninth to lift Stonehill to the 1-0 extra-innings win in game two to complete the sweep.

Senior Kait Mendall fired a two-hit shutout over nine innings to lead the Skyhawks in the nightcap.

Stryker led off the ninth with a bunt single, advanced all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kelsey Wilcox (Canterbury, Conn./Griswold) and then scored when Eisenmann was caught stealing at second after she was intentionally walked.

The one run was more than enough for Mendall, who held American International scoreless over the full nine innings, allowing just two hits and two walks with six strikeouts for the win (4-2).

Stryker finished 1-for-4 with the one run scored. Lindsay Bock was 1-for-3 with a stolen base, while Kristen Clark finished 1-for-2.

Freshman Elizabeth Habib (Methuen, Mass./Central Catholic) was nearly equally as impressive in the circle for AIC, allowing just the one earned run on four hits with ten strikeouts and a walk over her nine innings for the loss (5-7). She struck out five of the first nine batters she faced in the contest and didn't allow a hit until Bock reached on an infield single in the third.

Laura Rousseau and senior Becky Dion (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) both hit 1-for-3 for the Yellow Jackets.

Mendall surrendered hits in just the second and eighth and allowed just two runners in scoring position, none past second base, in the contest. She retired 21 of the first 23 batters she faced before giving up a leadoff single to Dion in the eighth.

Stonehill (11-9-1, 6-4 NE-10) returns to action tomorrow with a Northeast-10 doubleheader at Assumption College starting at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, April 17, when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University for a doubleheader at noon. American International (11-17, 4-6 NE-10) hosts Bentley University tomorrow at noon.